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  • Blog 2014-2021

A Palette Jumps into a Lake

7/24/2018

 
Picture
So you might have noticed a slight shift 
in the colors I've been using in my comics
since -- oh-- maybe May. 
Picture
All I really wanted, at first,
was a slightly brighter green.
Spring had arrived, after all,
and though it often poured rain on Farmer's Market mornings,
Picture
the grass, the trees, the new lettuces, the tunes
seemed to call for something more exuberant than
the greyed green  of the indigo/yellow ochre combo
from my beloved limited palette of last winter.
Picture
Weld dye extracted from dry plants, filtering through cotton cloth
Picture
Madder and Weld lakes precipitating after addition of alum and calcium carbonate.
Just a little bright yellow, I thought --
something like the weld  with which I dye wool.
And then a couple of weeks ago
as I was messing about with madder,
I remembered lakes.
Picture
Madder and Weld lakes evaporating (easier than filtering I thought)
Some of the best known historic lakes
​are actually made from my standard  natural dyes:
madder (alizarin crimson)
cochineal (carmine)
and--ta da--weld, 
​which apparently is the source one of Vermeer's favorite yellows.
Picture
With the help of  this site,
and some glorious photos,
I did a few rough experiments
the results of which have.... varied.
The madder turned out more orange than I imagined,

the cochineal leans toward purple rather than carmine,
and the weld is more than a little chalky.
Picture
But I still ended up with some photogenic pigment,
Picture
that blended easily with gum arabic and honey
Picture
and allows me to paint my 
 linen shift (a summer staple)
​ with some accuracy.
Picture
Also, the greens are definitely brighter.
Weld and indigo watercolors combine nicely on paper
as they do on yarn.
Picture
Palette-wise though, I am left in a bit of a muddle.
 For even as I enjoy the new colors,
they can be overwhelming
(particularly the cochineal)
and it would not surprise me a bit
​ if I narrow back down---
Picture
once berry season is over. 
Bonnie Klatt
7/24/2018 01:54:35 pm

Yes, I noticed the change in palette. I love it. It has Mama Earth's signature all over it. Isn't it grand that She provides us with so much color - to dye fiber with, to paint with,....

Velma Bolyard link
7/24/2018 02:06:08 pm

And since our paths ore sometimes parallel (with width) i've been messing around, too, thou i have to admit to buying some of those greenleaf and blueberry colors. draw/paintings percolating...

Meg link
7/24/2018 02:36:38 pm

This is fabulous!! I must try this as I would love to have a staple summer shift painted with natural paint.

Patti Kirch
7/24/2018 10:43:34 pm

💕your new joggers and in with the spring water colours Sarah!

Nancy B
7/25/2018 06:30:00 am

Golly, that made me laugh. Keep on experimenting!

Maurine Adrezin link
7/31/2018 04:30:27 pm

Your drawings are amazing and your class with Rebecca is fantastic.

Cathy Gillis
8/1/2018 09:05:21 am

Once again, your post brings a smile to my face and heart! Delightful work.


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    ​Sarah C Swett 
    tells stories
    with
    ​ and about

     hand spun yarn. 


    Picture
    Click for info on
    my four selvedge
    warping class
    with
    ​ Rebecca Mezoff  
    fringeless


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