Lake pigment production is an ancient skill, where soluble plant dyes are converted to water-insoluble pigments suitable for paintmaking. In this half-day, hands-on workshop, Helen will show you how to extract the colour from traditional and locally sourced plants to create unique lake pigments that you can then mix with your favourite binder to use in your art practice. The workshop includes a discussion on lightfastness and how to incorporate botanical colours into a contemporary 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.