Tea as Pigment Workshop

Join us forTea as Pigment Workshop led by Alum Artist Whitney Vangrin during Headlands' April 26 Spring Open House.
Participants begin by tasting a small serving of tea, focusing on color, aroma, acidity, and bodily sensation. Using that sensory experience as a starting point, they then create a quick abstract painting by staining and painting paper with brewed tea. Tea functions as both pigment and concept. Introducing color through a natural, time-based material connected to ritual, land, and care. Participants explore wash, pooling, and mark-making as a way of translating taste and feeling into visual form.
Components
1. Tea Tasting
Participants will be guided through a tasting of three teas selected for their cultural histories, sensory depth, and pigment qualities, each corresponding to a primary color:

• Hibiscus: deep crimson; tart, floral, and bodily (red)
• Turmeric: earthy yellow; warmth, medicine, and stain (yellow)
• Butterfly Pea Flower: vibrant blue; transformation and pH-responsive color shifts (blue)

Each tea will be discussed briefly in relation to color, origin, and embodied sensation, establishing a sensory foundation for the watercolor portion of the workshop.
2. Tea Watercolor
Using brewed teas as natural pigments, participants will create watercolor paintings inspired by their sensory experience of tasting. Participants may mix teas, layer washes, and observe how the pigments shift as they dry, emphasizing process, instability, and transformation.
Accessibility & Engagement

• No prior art experience required.
• All materials will be provided. Materials are non-toxic and approachable.
• Designed to encourage conversation, observation, and communal exchange.
• All ages 5+
• Free with RSVP; two slots (1-2PM or 2-3PM).

. Maximum 4 slots per order. If you have any questions, please contact Juliana Gerdts, Headlands' Program Manager, at [email protected].
The workshop will be held in the Westwing space, on the second floor of Building 944, accessible only by stairs.
Photo by Drew Altizer.

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Host or Publisher Headlands Center for the Arts