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The Three Primaries
Canoe Trip Buffalo River, 2009Color is visual language. The basics of color theory gives us an understanding of how colors interact with one another. The three primary colors in the pigment spectrum...
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The Great Mullein
Huge roadside Mullein, 2009Natural colors can be found in under appreciated road-side plants such as Mullein. Although considered a weed by some, I have been enchanted with the naturalized Verbascum...
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COLOR FOR THOUGHT
COLOR FOR THOUGHT: REINTRODUCING NATURAL DYESNatural Dyestuffs, 2009“The only way to preserve tradition is to allow it to evolve.”Yo Yo Ma, The Silk RoadNatural color is about process. Process is about...
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Safety Bits
Miscellaneous Stir Sticks, 2010There are many smart people doing many stupid things when it comes to safety in the dye studio. Its easy to be lazy, to think “oh, just this little bit does not matter”...
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Notes on Dyeing the Blues
Sky and Moon, Oklahoma, 2009.Dyeing with Indigo is an art, a science, a skill and it is magical.Blue is rare in the natural world except for our expansive sky and reflective water. There are not even...
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Spring into Green
Flowering Allium, 2009.Green is the ultimate color celebrating Spring. During Spring, the color literally springs us into action when it seems all of the plant kingdom is awakening from either a deep...
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EGGSTONES
Eggstone Platter, 2010.The celebration of Spring is thought to be one of the oldest cultural rituals. These Spring celebrations often include dyeing eggs. Eggs are the symbol for rebirth, renewal of...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Oklahoma
Dye Seed Packets, 2010.Dye Seed Packets, 2010Part I: Growing Dye Plants from SeedThis year I am documenting my SEED to SKEIN 2010 Dye Garden Project. My goals include getting to know some new dye...
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Ode to Chocolate Chip
An ode to Chocolate Chip... the beauty and simplicity that Black & White can bring to our lives and the stark reminders we receive when life is not Black & White.Chocolate Chip, 2010.Black...
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WORDS FOR EARTH
“the world is mud-luscious....the world is puddle wonderful” -ee cummingsOklahoma Red Dirt, Sandy Loam, 2010.Earth pigments are the most stable of natural colors. They are often combined with the...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part II
“Nature does nothing uselessly” -AristotleHelianthus spp.,Hopi Dye Sunflower, 2010.Part II: Seed GerminationSpring thrives on future potential and the promise of renewal. Seeing established trees and...
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Colors of "Cuties"
Chicago Clementines, 2008.Orange is synonymous with citrus fruits. In full hue Orange is loud. It reigns in our attention. Yet, more somber orange colors are sad and dull. Lighter values of Orange,...
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Washing Oklahoma Red Dirt
Oklahoma Red Dirt detail, 2010.I first saw the process of extracting usable pigment from dirt for painting on cloth in a workshop with John Marshall at Earth’s Palette Natural Color Conference in 2009....
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part III
Isatis tinctoria, Woad,4 weeks, 2010.Part III: True LeavesThe cotyledons are the initial life support for a seedling. Once the true leaves and roots are formed, seedlings become self- supporting. True...
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Purple Majesty
Energyscape #2658, 2010.Violet has the shortest wavelength in the light spectrum and the fastest vibration. The hues of Purple vary in proportions of Red and Blue, making them warmer or cooler. Violet...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part IV
Seed Starting Frame/Growth Stages, 2010.Part IV: Transplanting and Root SystemsOnce the true leaf has developed (after the cotyledons), the small plants can be transplanted directly into garden ground...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part V
VW Improv, 2010.Part V: MulchingIt would be nearly impossible to garden in Oklahoma without a good layer of mulch. Ground leaves are a favorite mulch but they are more difficult to come by than wheat...
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Miracle Milk from a Plant
Dry Soy Beans, 2010.Aside from corn, soybeans are the workhorse of plants. They are one of the most widely grown crops in the world. Although mostly grown for vegetable oil and feed filler for cattle,...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part VI
Hopi Dye Sunflower, 2010.“The first purpose of a garden is to give happiness and repose of mind.”(unknown)Part VI: First FlowersFirst flowers seem to always have wonder and surprise. They are full of...
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Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part VII
Healthy Weld Plant, 2010.Part VII: Weld RescueThe Weld, Resedaluteola, has been struggling since mid-June. On the 4th of July I executed a Weld Rescue Program and I am keeping my hopes up that the...
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