Lost in Colours

For children Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Natural DIY sustainable watercolors for children

14th June 2019

Make your own children’s watercolor paints from plants! As, I learned and grew more into natural, toxin-free, and sustainable living; I was quite set on creating alternatives to traditional, non-natural toxic paints for my artwork. I wasn’t always an artist, I reconnected to this dormant artist within me four years ago, and since then I have only been working with my own natural and non-toxic handmade watercolors. For obvious reasons, I’m not thrilled when it comes to store-bought children’s arts…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Natural Plant Inks

5th June 2019

I had started my blog Lost in Colours with an intention to raise awareness of the environmental issues involved in art materials and to provide non-toxic, low-impact solutions. Hopefully, I can be more regular in sharing not only my insights on this topic but also my struggles and joy of creating sustainable art! To date, I had only been using pigments from Earth in my daily art practice. I began foraging for natural pigments from plants last year after being…

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Painting & Sketching

Back to the roots: Connect with Nature!

8th March 2019

What I love most about painting is to create art in an organic sensibility. To be mindful of the materials I use and how they affect the world around me. Every day I continue to be inspired by the intensity and strength of natural pigments and the beauty and wisdom of mother nature. As a scientist, I clearly see the impact art supplies have on our environment and I know it’s time to make a change. Working with natural pigments…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

How ‘Green’ is your Green watercolour ?!

15th December 2018

Green, the colour of nature, new life and sustainability can never be green ! It is ironically toxic to all forms of life and environment! “Nature in her green, tranquil woods heals and soothes all afflictions” –John Muir Green is the color of nature, which symbolizes renewal and growth. It also means balance, calm and harmony. It is no surprise that we feel so invigorated when we are out in the open surrounded by the beauty of nature. Such is…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

“Let’s get Dirty”!

23rd November 2018

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up” – Picasso Over the years, my educational journey steered me towards the realms of science, research, discovery, and development, detouring far away from the realm of art. Life, however, possesses a remarkable ability to bide its time until one is prepared for their true calling. In hindsight, I recognize that my destiny was to evolve into a watercolor artist. It was merely two…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

A safe pair of hands

28th May 2018

This is a guest blog featuring Elma Hogeboom My name is Elma Hogeboom, a sustainable artist from the Netherlands. I strive towards a sustainable lifestyle in every walk of my life. Art is a huge passion of mine and I apply sustainability to my passion too. After a long painstaking research, I found out that sustainable materials to create pieces of art were either very scarce or non-existent! It got me thinking: in this day and age, how in the…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Art or Environment-What matters to you the most?

16th May 2018

It’s a delightful feeling when you get excited to create something, and then venture forth and share your creative endeavor with the rest of the world. I am talking about the current trend of handmade watercolors. I too am a watercolor paint maker and an artist who uses them. I started using handmade paints when it came to my notice that some of the commercial ones were quite toxic, not only to humans but also to our environment. I have…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

What’s in your Watercolour Paint?

28th April 2018

Hazards in the art world often aren’t taken very seriously. It’s hard to see artists as people who are engaged in a dangerous field. Had I not been a scientist, I too would have remained oblivious about the perils lurking in an artist’s world! It comes as no surprise that artists through history have been called by many names-geniuses, crazy, dreamers, unemployed-but rarely chemists! There can be a lot of mystery when you go to purchase paints, especially if it’s…

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Hello,
I’m Jyotsna, a scientist and a watercolor artist dedicated to sustainability, currently living in the charming city of Graz, Austria. I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to Lost in Colours, where my creative pursuits are deeply rooted in an ongoing exploration to learn, gain understanding, and form a bond with the natural world that surrounds us.

If you’re looking for a way to infuse your artistic pursuits with inspiration and joy, you’ve come to the right place. Get lost in the world of colours with me and discover new ways to make a positive impact through your art!

Outstanding Course

I took Jyotsna's course on making Botanical pigments, and she is the best!

Erin Parsons

Artist

Eco-Pigment Passion

I've always loved earth pigments. ... for anyone who wants to be as green and careful as possible ... that is something that Jyotsna is passionate about

Jane Blundell

Artist

Pigment Adventures

I have done ALL of Jyotsna's courses and they are brilliant. The presentation is really nice and the content has set me off on a kind of obsessive exploration of hunting for colours in nature, making pigments and the excitment of seeing what colours will come (often unexpectedly) from a plant. If you are interested in pigment making then do those courses and then the paint making one as you will then have your own 'materials' ready. Go for it!

Alfi Spencer

Artist

Colorful Inspiration

My first introduction to the world of making my own watercolours was when I stumbled upon Jyotsna's website . And therein I was sucked into her beautiful , natural , organic and colourful world . Needless to say , I spend a lot of time going through her site and gaining from her knowledge . So when she announced an online resource I immediately signed on. It is now very helpful to have lifelong access to her online lessons in basic watercolour making from pigments . Her scientific background adds to making this resource very organised . I find her energy and happiness in doing what she does both contagious and inspiring , and this comes through in her videos. I am sure I will keep returning to her online platforms and also her course material on a very regular basis , as I continue to find and make my own way towards creating my own sustainable watercolours

Mansi Shouche

Sustainable, Comprehensive & Affordable

The courses are absolutely amazing, and I plan to sign up for all of them! The content is very comprehensive and easy to understand. Jyotsna has a PhD in chemistry and not many other people in the world would have her intimate knowledge of the dye and ink-making processes. Her passion for sustainable art making and organic farming is second to none. The price of the courses are also very affordable, and I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in sustainable art practice.

Damian Talbot

Landscape Artist & Medical doctor

Transformative Journey

I just completed Jyotsna’s “Making Lake Botanicals” course and could not be happier with the content. Jyotsna’s instruction is understandable and easy to follow. I feel more confident in moving forward to making my own watercolor paints than ever before. I had a small concern about working through procedures that required using chemicals that could potentially go wrong. Her recipes are well thought out, and she goes step by step, making it easy to take notes and completely grasp the procedure, and that helped to eliminate my concern.

I was not surprised at how much I would like this course, as all of the courses and videos have been so appreciated. Of all the instruction, and instructors, I have followed, Jyotsna is, hands down, my favorite!

Sandra Wicinski