One of my most joyful moment is to share my skills as a natural dyers with less experienced artisans or artists who want to understand and learn to use nature to create colour.
I work from first principal cultivating dye plants, forageing them and swapping them with other dyers to be able to create a full colour pallet. Over the past 10 years I have been learning from masters and from practitioners to be able to create the perfect colour green. That involves understanding mordants and fibers and working out the balance between the blues (woad or indigo) and the yellows (some of which are the wrong yellow for a nice green if that can exist) .
It is my pleasure to offer this year the opportunity to book yourself in a two (or more) days of mini residency at our mutually agreed time to create a shade card of yellows, blues and greens from my local plants. We can add off course some reds from added roots or bugs and go for a full rainbow but it might take longer than two days for this.
Over two days you will:
- Learn about fibres
- Learn about cleaning and mordanting
- Understand dyes and tannins
- Select plants and learn to extract for best cover, if the weather allows we will take a local walk to point out local plants that can be used.
- Dye both cellulose and silk samples.
- Neutralise and finish your fabric.
- learn to record your results
Finally go away with a selection of colours and robust knowledge about natural sustainable dyeing in your own location.
If you would like more information about price and dates please email me at bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com mentioning “A colourful walk mini residency”
Please note… the residency takes place in my studio at an agreed date/time and runs from 10am to 5pm unless otherwise agreed. We take a break for lunch, I supply tea and coffee but not lunch.
Please note… Unfortunately my studio access involves unfriendly stairs it is not suitable if you have access issues. If you do so I can help finding an alternative venue.
Please note… Natural dyes is a dirty business and involves a lot of standing up make sure you have confortable shoes and a little old jumper with you, dyes can stain your clothes.
Please note… I only work with the material I supply but if you want to test your own write in before so we can arrange it.
Please note… I do not offer residential spaces but I can suggest local small hotels and bnb that are very friendly. My studio is based in the West end of Glasgow and is very accessible by public transport. There is parking available (pay and display or free on week end days).
Please note… I can accomodate two or three dyers at the same time.
I look forward to hear from you.
Betty
THE LANSDOWNE HOUSE 