It took a week plus, but after trial and error I could make more than 30 colors for this Earth Day Workshop. What a wonderful experience!
I cooked up color from avocado pits, brazilwood, purple cabbage, dried indigo leaves with green tea, onion skins, persimmon tannin. The plan was to see how they changed with different mordants and with different handmade papers made with different fibers.
Here are the onion skins I collected over many months and liquid from the avocado pits; showing boiled pits on left.
Mordants applied to paper and dried before applying dye: iron rust, vinegar, and alum.
Brighteners used which alter color when mixed in liquid: baking soda and lime juice; although the baking soda turned the purple cabbage to blue!
Did a couple folded & dyed or clamp dyed dips in the colors and I really like the way the color looks! Hope to do more of this process!
Finally, I burnished colors for smooth finish, using egg white or bath soap and a bone folder.
Thank you to the students who attended this workshop and special thanks to Noriko for her fabulous photography. What a privilege to teach such talented artists! I look forward to working with you in the future.
Lauren
Photographs courtesy of both Noriko Crasso and Lauren Pearlman Sugita.
