In this one-day, introductory workshop, Helen will guide you through the process of extracting colours from locally sourced, sustainably harvested plant materials, to create your own natural, botanical inks. Techniques that will be explored include extraction of pigments with water and alcohol, colour range extension using mordants and modifiers, record-keeping and lightfast testing.
Students will have time to explore the artistic potential of natural inks, creating test swatches then manipulating the inks to create their own unique layered artworks.
All materials are supplied and students will take home workshop notes, ink samples and artworks created during the workshop. This workshop is suitable for all artists interested in incorporating natural materials into their art practice.
As a contemporary colour woman, with an art practice devoted to process and scientific experimentation, Helen delights in unlocking the hidden colours in the natural world around us.
Tapping into a thirty-year career in botany and chemistry, Helen explores the artistic potential of local plant and earth materials. By blending ancient and contemporary techniques, these diverse samples are transformed into unique dyes, pigments, inks and paints.
Helen shares her research through exhibitions, workshops and residencies across Australia, inspiring artists and the broader community to connect more deeply with the natural environment through the creation of art made with local, natural materials.