Explore the art of capturing nature’s colours using plant pigments, an easy and conscious way to interact with the outdoors and create your own colour palette.
In the quiet corners of our surroundings lies an untapped treasure trove: nature’s own vibrant palette. Imagine wandering through a lush garden, city parks or along a forest trail, where each leaf, bark, and petal holds its own unique hue, inviting us to pause, discover, and connect with something timeless.
I recently rediscovered a simple yet fulfilling practice that brings these colors to life—a creative ritual that had lingered unfinished until I finally brought it to completion. Back in school, I was never captivated by herbariums. Everyone in my class seemed to pick it for their project, and instead, I was drawn to insects. I spent hours chasing dragonflies and butterflies, carefully documenting each find in a hand-curated journal filled with the marvels of tiny creatures. In the ’80s, identifying them was a challenge; without internet or easy access to reference books, every entry was a labor of love, pieced together with what few resources we had.
Fast forward to now, and my fascination with the natural world has evolved from insects to plants. Whether cycling or hiking through the mountains, my eyes are tuned to spot plants I’ve never encountered before, especially those with colors that lend themselves to natural dyeing, pigments, inks, and paints. Creating my own pigments has inspired a profound shift in how I observe and interact with nature, transforming my approach into what I now think of as a “Chromatic Herbarium.” This isn’t a typical herbarium; instead of preserving plant specimens, I collect and catalog their unique colors, building a vibrant record of nature’s hues.
Pages from My Chromatic Herbarium: A Journey through Nature’s Palette!
This practice is more than a creative outlet; it’s a quiet meditation on the world around us, an invitation to slow down and appreciate the delicate, fleeting beauty that nature offers. Each smudge of color tells its own story—of the plant’s texture, scent, and the ecosystem it belongs to. The act of collecting these colors, of recording them thoughtfully, offers a unique way to experience and celebrate the natural world.
Not so long ago, during a bundle dyeing workshop, I made a color card with participants to help them understand which plants are suitable for this creative process. This hands-on activity allowed everyone to see the potential of different plant materials, enhancing their awareness of how colors can be extracted from the natural world. These cards serve as a practical reference, guiding future explorations in natural dyeing and pigment extraction.
This practice is more than a creative outlet; it’s a quiet meditation on the world around us, an invitation to slow down and appreciate nature’s fleeting beauty. Each smudge of color tells its own story—of the plant’s texture, scent, and the ecosystem it belongs to. My chromatic herbarium, along with the color cards created during workshops, has become a way to experience, record, and honor the natural world’s palette.
So, consider embarking on your own journey with nature’s colors. Pause, breathe in the earthy scents, and let yourself be captivated by the unexpected hues around you. Allow these colors to become part of your own story, a reminder of the simple joy found in connecting with the world around us. Together, let’s celebrate this journey—one plant, one color, one page at a time.
Happy exploring!
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