How to grow a Natural Dye Garden

Make pigments from flowers and plants

Pigment & Paintmaking Workshops

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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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Respect a few rules !

15th April 2018

The art of paint making has been existing for thousands of years. Today’s paint making process is perhaps no different than how it was several 100 years ago. At the time when commercial colors were not available artists made their own paint, or had an assistant or colourman make it for them. The pigments were ground by hand on a flat piece of marble or glass using a glass muller. Its no doubt that making beautiful pieces of art is…

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Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Ignorance is not bliss!

8th April 2018

Indeed, its health and safety issue in the Art world. Who would have thought that it matters? Perhaps, if I didn’t have a science background I too would have remained ignorant about the hazards that are associated with the art supplies. How many of you know what’s in an artist’s pigment? If any art material has a hazard warning mentioned on the back of the paint I take notice.  Health and safety aren’t often mentioned in connection with fine arts,…

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