Nina Royle: Botanical inks and dyes workshop

Following on from her exhibition earlier in the season, (23 March - 9 June, 2024) the artist,Nina Royle, will be offering a workshop on botanical inks and dyes

Colours from botanical sources – the chemical life-blood of roots, barks, berries, flowers and leaves, have been harnessed into dyes and inks for many thousands of years. Nearly all plant dyes can be manipulated to create a spectrum of not just one but several different hues. Some of these colours burn brightly but expire quickly, where others create stains that last for centuries. These colours and the processes for obtaining them, speak to diverse cultural practices and their relationships to land, trade, climate and the flux of seasons.

In this workshop we will explore some of these ideas through making inks and dyes from a range of ingredients including oak apples, hibiscus, safflower, onion skins, walnut hulls, black beans and seasonal flowers. Every ingredient has its own story. When creating dyes strong metallic mordents are often used to deepen or brighten colour, which can be harmful to the environment. Where possible the workshop seeks to minimise a reliance on these.

Host or Publisher Kestle Barton