That video should come with a warning: Caution, if you are holding your (handmade favorite) cup to close, you might experience salty coffee. Yes, it moved me to tears. Thank you.
Thank you Teyani! It was an exciting process and I felt obsessed I must say. I was almost relieved that it racheted down to normal level extreme interest LOL. I feel the presence of color differently now, which is wild since I've been an artist my whole adult life!
I believe that beauty in art is found in the relationship between line and color. If I were sightless, it’s in my heart I’d find color. Thank you, Sarah, for your beautiful video.
WOWZA. Stunning colors, Sarah!Mesmerizing video. I particularly loved the play of the blue on the gossamer, translucent fabric. Your commitment to this experiment blows me away. And those quotes! Steiner—“color is the soul of nature and the entire universe.” That says it all… maybe our primal response to color is because it’s frequency and affects our vibration. My favorite combo of orange and pink never ceases to lift my spirits and nothing thrills my body more than a bright Caribbean sea beckoning for total immersion in blue. I’ve been leaning into more color recently feeling like I want to jazz up my monotone wardrobe with bright colors (just learned that red lipstick became a symbol of victory over Nazism, Hitler apparently hated red lipstick)… thinking of the rainbow flag too… and all the women I know who have recently been dying their hair wild colors again. I’m also reading a book called Bluets by Maggie Nelson that had a resurgence via booktok about her lifelong obsession with the color blue. You might like it. I feel like your obsession with color is perfect timing for what’s needed right now. I for one want a VICTORY flag to hang on my wall (like the one in that print I texted you). We need flags! Think about how powerful flags (yucky ones) have become in the last 10 years. I can’t wait until we can dive into the flag conversation. Flags create another primal human response. Beyond excited for your flags!!
Thank you so much Nyla! I love orange and pink as well and had a couple of swatches sitting together for weeks because I just couldn't stop staring at them. I can't believe I didn't put that in the video! And thanks about the blue silk organza--that was one of my favorte parts as well. It's interesting to consider embracing color as a form of rebellion--I like this idea! And YES YES YES to victory flags! Flags are so primal and emotional--hence my obsession! Let's see how I do--I've been obsessed for years and have been wondering when it was gonna show up in my artmaking...perhaps now is the perfect time...
oh Sarah that was so gorgeous and you've become a beautiful movie maker too! A feast!! I've always wondered why some colors speak to some people and not to others. How do we see?!
Thanks Scotty! I know, color is such daily beautiful mystery that we take for granted, isn't it? I loved Picasso's question about color relationships. It's also fascinating how some animals and insects see way more color than we do--crows, for instance, see the ultraviolet range. I bet their feathers look even more amazing to each other!
Thank you--and it's so true Theresa--it's amazing how different the colors look on different fabrics--the linen, silks and cottons all look different from the same dye bath! Another source of fascination! :D
I am SO BLOWN AWAY by the beauty of all the swatches you dyed. Wow, wow, wow. Watching your video, I was mesmerized, and just swept away to a happy place as I took in all that beauty.
All those subtle tones. So much variation. Such gorgeousness! I loved that Marc Chagall quote in particular -- that "all colors are friends of their neighbors, and lovers of their opposites."
OH, thank you Laura! I so appreciate it. I also love that Marc Chagall quote--especially because opposite colors make each other vibrate--I thought it was a great observation!
Brilliant. Loved the video and quotes and then then the followup with your thoughts. As a book maker I can see the prospect of many books of swatches of color that each tell their stories of nature.
Thanks Jeremy! I'm not much of a quilter, but I AM obsessed with flags (not the national kind) so I'm thinking maybe I start making my own freak flags--I'd love to really combine and collage and add screen printing and found bits....I'm gonna let it unfold and see what happens!
oooh cool. I can’t wait to see your flags! I’ve had a similar idea too with patchwork.
I have a dream of getting into amish quilt processes…including doing my own dying. Their color relationships are so gorgeous…I’ve considered starting to plant madder in my garden but the time involved always stops me. Where do you source your dyes from?
Fun! And yes, I'm trying to figure out what dye plants i can successfully grow where I live too. A lot of the classic dye plants are tropical--and were traded on the silk road, etc. for thousands of years probably.
The other tricky part with growing your own dye plants is the volume you'd need--one plant probably won't cut it. I'm thinking of just starting with an easy one or two--so this year it'll probably be marigolds because they do make a beautiful yellow. (You also need to scour, tannin and mordant your fabrics before you dye them--a lot of steps! But still so satisfying.)
I like to buy my dye stuff from a lovely Canadian company called Maiwa.com. They support organic dyers, growers and weavers in India and elsewhere. It's also where I took the class that resulted in all these dye samples!
Wow, Sarah, this is an impressive amount of work. The swatches are just glorious, so rich and inviting and exciting! You are so right that nature is a constant source of inspiration. And the exhaust baths... well, how fun is that. Yes, ink is the next step. I look forward to seeing more. Maiwa is a great resource for all things "old school and romantic".
I'm loving that bowl of hankies too! I love that you call it a 'chakra blend,' I'm gonna call it that now too! In the video, you can see me grinding something in a mortar and pestle and then pouring an extract--that is dried cochineal bugs. They live on nopal cactus and produce beautiful pinks and purples. Cochineal is an ancient source of dye from the Americas. Lac is another classic bug dye from India--it's where we also get shellac.
And I will play and experiment with these samples and then start dyeing fabrics for larger pieces. I've always been obsessed with flags (not national flags, but others--like samurai flags, buddhist flags, medieval flags) so I'm thinking I might be entering a flag making period! I'm curious to find out how it unfolds..:D
beautiful Sarah, and the earthy colors 'felt' the most peaceful to my heart solar plexus...the brighter colors are more exciting somehow...
Oh thank you Phyllis. And I agree, they offer something different. I truly love them all!
I like your description, Phyllis! Because I loved ALL the colors Sarah showed in her video, but as you said, in different ways.
That video should come with a warning: Caution, if you are holding your (handmade favorite) cup to close, you might experience salty coffee. Yes, it moved me to tears. Thank you.
Oh Paula, that means so much to me--thank you!
The precision of your astounding creations evidences your scientific (should I say chemist’s) mind. It is delicious to observe..
I loved your video.
My eyes are lit up by color. The subtle tones each carry a vibration so distinct it can be felt.
Wow Sarah! The patience this took is amazing, 💕
Thank you Teyani! It was an exciting process and I felt obsessed I must say. I was almost relieved that it racheted down to normal level extreme interest LOL. I feel the presence of color differently now, which is wild since I've been an artist my whole adult life!
I believe that beauty in art is found in the relationship between line and color. If I were sightless, it’s in my heart I’d find color. Thank you, Sarah, for your beautiful video.
Thank you Kathy for your beautiful comment—finding color living in your heart…🩷♥️💙💛💚🧡
WOWZA. Stunning colors, Sarah!Mesmerizing video. I particularly loved the play of the blue on the gossamer, translucent fabric. Your commitment to this experiment blows me away. And those quotes! Steiner—“color is the soul of nature and the entire universe.” That says it all… maybe our primal response to color is because it’s frequency and affects our vibration. My favorite combo of orange and pink never ceases to lift my spirits and nothing thrills my body more than a bright Caribbean sea beckoning for total immersion in blue. I’ve been leaning into more color recently feeling like I want to jazz up my monotone wardrobe with bright colors (just learned that red lipstick became a symbol of victory over Nazism, Hitler apparently hated red lipstick)… thinking of the rainbow flag too… and all the women I know who have recently been dying their hair wild colors again. I’m also reading a book called Bluets by Maggie Nelson that had a resurgence via booktok about her lifelong obsession with the color blue. You might like it. I feel like your obsession with color is perfect timing for what’s needed right now. I for one want a VICTORY flag to hang on my wall (like the one in that print I texted you). We need flags! Think about how powerful flags (yucky ones) have become in the last 10 years. I can’t wait until we can dive into the flag conversation. Flags create another primal human response. Beyond excited for your flags!!
Thank you so much Nyla! I love orange and pink as well and had a couple of swatches sitting together for weeks because I just couldn't stop staring at them. I can't believe I didn't put that in the video! And thanks about the blue silk organza--that was one of my favorte parts as well. It's interesting to consider embracing color as a form of rebellion--I like this idea! And YES YES YES to victory flags! Flags are so primal and emotional--hence my obsession! Let's see how I do--I've been obsessed for years and have been wondering when it was gonna show up in my artmaking...perhaps now is the perfect time...
ps. after reading about the budget vote, this was a balm!
oh Sarah that was so gorgeous and you've become a beautiful movie maker too! A feast!! I've always wondered why some colors speak to some people and not to others. How do we see?!
Thanks Scotty! I know, color is such daily beautiful mystery that we take for granted, isn't it? I loved Picasso's question about color relationships. It's also fascinating how some animals and insects see way more color than we do--crows, for instance, see the ultraviolet range. I bet their feathers look even more amazing to each other!
Thank you Sarah! what a beautiful post and video. I feel saturated, just like the beautiful colors you create with natural dyes and fabric. YUM!
Thanks so much Kristine--that makes me feel so good!
Inspiring, and I can’t help but note that texture is yet another aspect of the color that you see.
Thank you--and it's so true Theresa--it's amazing how different the colors look on different fabrics--the linen, silks and cottons all look different from the same dye bath! Another source of fascination! :D
I am SO BLOWN AWAY by the beauty of all the swatches you dyed. Wow, wow, wow. Watching your video, I was mesmerized, and just swept away to a happy place as I took in all that beauty.
All those subtle tones. So much variation. Such gorgeousness! I loved that Marc Chagall quote in particular -- that "all colors are friends of their neighbors, and lovers of their opposites."
OH, thank you Laura! I so appreciate it. I also love that Marc Chagall quote--especially because opposite colors make each other vibrate--I thought it was a great observation!
Brilliant. Loved the video and quotes and then then the followup with your thoughts. As a book maker I can see the prospect of many books of swatches of color that each tell their stories of nature.
I love that idea Deborah--lots to think about there!! (And one of the reasons I'm drawn to the ink making process now--my sketchbooks and book arts!)
gorgeous jewel tones! Do you know what kinds of projects you're going to do with your textile dying? You could make some incredible quilts!
Thanks Jeremy! I'm not much of a quilter, but I AM obsessed with flags (not the national kind) so I'm thinking maybe I start making my own freak flags--I'd love to really combine and collage and add screen printing and found bits....I'm gonna let it unfold and see what happens!
oooh cool. I can’t wait to see your flags! I’ve had a similar idea too with patchwork.
I have a dream of getting into amish quilt processes…including doing my own dying. Their color relationships are so gorgeous…I’ve considered starting to plant madder in my garden but the time involved always stops me. Where do you source your dyes from?
Fun! And yes, I'm trying to figure out what dye plants i can successfully grow where I live too. A lot of the classic dye plants are tropical--and were traded on the silk road, etc. for thousands of years probably.
The other tricky part with growing your own dye plants is the volume you'd need--one plant probably won't cut it. I'm thinking of just starting with an easy one or two--so this year it'll probably be marigolds because they do make a beautiful yellow. (You also need to scour, tannin and mordant your fabrics before you dye them--a lot of steps! But still so satisfying.)
I like to buy my dye stuff from a lovely Canadian company called Maiwa.com. They support organic dyers, growers and weavers in India and elsewhere. It's also where I took the class that resulted in all these dye samples!
Oh I'd LOVE to see what flags you could make from these!
or collages!
Wow, Sarah, this is an impressive amount of work. The swatches are just glorious, so rich and inviting and exciting! You are so right that nature is a constant source of inspiration. And the exhaust baths... well, how fun is that. Yes, ink is the next step. I look forward to seeing more. Maiwa is a great resource for all things "old school and romantic".
Thank you Nancy! And yes, Maiwa is a great resource for all things "old school and romantic." And they are really wonderful teachers.
Love the quotes in the video. Beautiful.
Thanks Sally!
Beautiful video! Thank you!
This is fabulous! The video felt like a meditation and you created artwork within it. A colorful experience!
The array of colors drew me in especially the chakra blend of colors in the bowl.
I’m wondering how you make colors with insects?
Besides making a book of swatches, do you have other plans for the materials you colored?
So impressed and really enjoying your array of creativity ❤️
I'm loving that bowl of hankies too! I love that you call it a 'chakra blend,' I'm gonna call it that now too! In the video, you can see me grinding something in a mortar and pestle and then pouring an extract--that is dried cochineal bugs. They live on nopal cactus and produce beautiful pinks and purples. Cochineal is an ancient source of dye from the Americas. Lac is another classic bug dye from India--it's where we also get shellac.
And I will play and experiment with these samples and then start dyeing fabrics for larger pieces. I've always been obsessed with flags (not national flags, but others--like samurai flags, buddhist flags, medieval flags) so I'm thinking I might be entering a flag making period! I'm curious to find out how it unfolds..:D
This is so interesting! It definitely felt like balanced chakras! Happy to help!
Can’t wait to see how the flags turn out!