Extracting Pigments From Raw Natural Materials
My paintmaking process begins with raw materials found in nature. When I started this journey, I first created seasonal palettes consisting of paint samples from each raw material I tested. Such paints were made from leaves, berries, flowers, roots, and rocks that I collected in the Northeastern United States. The winter pallet is very special to me because it was my first attempt at natural paintmaking and had proven to be quite the challenge in the cold months. Some paints were made from dried flowers and plants collected in the warmer months, while others were made from winter berries I foraged in the dormant woodlands. Much of my winter palette was preserved for extended use with one of two methods: dried powdered pigments or plant juices preserved in vinegar. When I was ready to paint, the dried pigments would be added either to hot water to create a watercolor or to egg yolk for egg tempera. The vinegar paints were ready to use when I needed them. Along with plant pigments on my winter palette was my collection of natural colored rocks which I have used as a chalk-based paint as well. My spring palette consists of brighter pigments derived from flowers, leaves, and roots I collected March-May.
Paintmaking can be quite time consuming and tedious at times. Extracting pigments is often a challenging process that requires experimentation. For example, after collecting the Greenbrier berries in January, I dried them in the oven and proceeded to remove the purple shell from the inner seed from each berry. With only a handful of berries, that process took me over an hour. The resulting pigment took up about one tablespoon of space, however the berries created a beautiful wine purple color, a pigment hard to find in nature during the winter. Finding an effective method of preservation for the pigments that would keep mold and bacteria out of the paints while maintaining color. To showcase some of the paints I made and the plants I used, I used my pigments to illustrate botanical studies of those plants which I had used. Through this process I have learned how pigment ages and changes color over time. Sometimes the aging color becomes more vibrant, other times it turns brown. The bright yellow paint in my Goldenrod piece came from American Bittersweet berries and actually took several weeks to reach that shade of yellow; the initial pigment is actually a dark red.
