“SHADES OF BLUE” conversations is a program of conversations and sharing sessions about Indigo the plants, pigment and processes curated by Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw natural dye and textile artist in Scotland.
THIS SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE LIVE ONLINE ON THE 24TH OF OCTOBER AT 10 AM (LONDON TIME) RECORDING WILL BE AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED VIEWERS AFTER THE EVENT
We will meet an Indigo plant grower and pigment producer from the Chiangdao area in Northern Thailand who will talk about his dedication in producing an Indigo pigment of very high quality Khun Sak of Bann Tann Kram and an Indigo studio Owner Khun Siriphon from Lanna Blue Chiangdao who set up a dye studio at the foot of the Chiandao montain. She specialises in teaching individuals and communities in taking their first steps in Indigo dfyeing out of her wonderful 6 large sugar vats.
In the one hour session we will hear about the local process to produce pigment that Khun Sak studied before setting up a well oiled prepared farm. His dedication to getting the highest quality pigment and his quest to find a master who had the traditional knowledge he was looking for.
Khun SiripohnThe local schools learning about Indigo dyeingIndigo seedsGrowing Indigo in Chiangdao
Connections are just very interesting these days and as an Eco Artist I rarely nowadays look at other processes, not lack of interest… just lack of time. I may have tried Cyanotype once but after loving it I decided I just could not find extra time to deal with testing another process.
It was a great surprised recently when I was contacted by The Soho Photography Gallery from New York (as The Big Apple), to enquire on wether I would be happy to offer an online talk to their members via Zoom about my process and the book I have just published in “Botanical Printing on paper”
If you were not able to attend or would love to see it again… the replay is below:
They are New York City’s longest operating member-run photography gallery. The gallery exhibits a wide range of fine-art photography including individual member shows, gallery-wide themed exhibits, national competitions and prestigious guest exhibitions. And although they are not located in Soho any more the name captured my imagination… I spent a year in New York as a young 20 something and I remember visiting Soho and the Village… I even attended an opening in Soho but off course 40 years later I would not be able to remember of what… no digital photos those days, no Instagram page to remind me and if I took any photos at the time they are long gone.
So I said yes very interested to know a bit more about them and what they do and to talk about my work and my recently published book “Botanical printing on paper”. We connected via emails and decided on a date and a time. I was told that most of the time many book but only watch later the replay… As I had just finished dispatching a few hundred books to gentle folks that had ordered it online for the launch I decided to share the invitation to them and on a couple of online groups I sometimes interact with… and the day came…
Around 300 people were booked for the talk and around 160 turned up on the night… It was mind blowing and like a huge class reunion… I have had zooms before of a couple of pages of names on the screen but that night we reached at times 8 pages to scroll through and many many people I knew… I love the fact they took the time to hear me talk about something they probably new about already. Although it was not planned that way this wonderful talk gave me the chance to have an online “launch” for my book and rejoicing as organise by the lovely folks of The Soho Photo Gallery.. we finished with everyone weaving their books on the screen while saying good night.
During the talk I made two cotinus prints because it was nice to demonstrate and this really brought me back to my online year course in Botanical printing on paper of 2021 with the same people on the screen… how much fun and great memories.
Little did I knew when I bought a tripod in May 2020 to put my phone on before teaching my first ever zoom class in a very dissorganised way that 6 years later I would be enjoying such a wonderful and generous community doted around the World.
I am very grateful for those beautiful people who shared their love that night it put me on a little cloud of happiness and off course I will never thank enough The Soho Photo Gallery for their kind act in inviting me to share. If you are in New York look them up, they have wonderful photo exhibition but if you are anywhere else… don’t disreagard their online talks, they are such a delight of very interesting subjects.
THE SOHO PHOTO GALLERY ALTERNATIVE PROCESS PHOTO COMPETITION:
“SHADES OF BLUE” conversations is a program of conversations and sharing sessions about Indigo the plants, pigment and processes curated by Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw natural dye and textile artist in Scotland.
THIS SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE LIVE ONLINE ON THE 24TH OF OCTOBER AT 12 NOON (LONDON TIME) RECORDING WILL BE AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED VIEWERS AFTER THE EVENT
Elisabeth is a textile and dye artist French born but established in Scotland since 1988. Working with Natural dyes for the past 11 years she focuses a lot of her work, research, teaching on Indigo. She has been growing an “Indigo plot” since 2020. She travels the World to learn from dye masters and she is the curator of “Shades of Blue”
In this session Elisabeth will talk about her relationship with the historic Ferrous vat (Copperas vat a historical vat of the Eastern European process “Blue Print”). She will explain her reasons for setting up this vat by choice in her working studio in Scotland and her focus on sharing the process around the World and she will share a short demonstration in setting one up.
This vat is highly suitable for dyers who like working with cellulose fibers.
THIS CONVERSATION WILL BE RECORDED FOR FUTURE REPLAY BY REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS.
100 “SHADES OF BLUE” is an Indigo dye collaborative project curated by Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw for the “SHADES OF BLUE” exhibition opening in Kirkintilloch (Glasgow) on the 26th of September.
The exhibition is about the diversity of Indigo dyeing related to plants, pigments and processes and for this Elisabeth called out to dyers to come forward with a skein of their favorite yarn dyed in their favorite Indigo process.
The diversity of the yarns submited will highlight the versatility and the importance of local and sustainable ressources and processes in Natural dyeing. The final result will be exhibited in the Autumn of 26 in Scotland but information about the project will be added to this page.
A regular zoom meet with the dyers who are located around the world in 16 countries will allow them to connect, exchange information and tips and perhaps more.
With this project Elisabeth is hoping to create and invisible blue thread between Indigo dyers accross the 4 continents and educate the prublic.
Scroll below to get regular update about the project.
As well as the information group, Elisabeth has organised 10 public talks online by professional of the Indigo dyeing trade to come and share about their process. You can book a space to hear their talk and support the project on the “SHADES OF BLUE” exhibition project below.
DYERS FIRST ONLINE MEET, THE SIG VAT WITH SASKIA AND JENNY
In our meet number 1, Saskia and Jeannine Bakridges share about their process with the Sig (Urine) vat in both The Netherland (with fresh extractions from Indigofera tinctoria plants home grown) and the USA with pigment.
DYERS SECOND MEET, 20 SEPTEMBER 2026, FRESH LEAVES PROCESSES WITH WOAD AND JAPANESE INDIGO FROM SCOTTISH DYERS
On the 20th September 2026 we meet online for a follow up catch up and one of the dyers Deborah Gray shared her work with Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) the plants that she grows in the Rockfield community garden and she used to dye two skeins for the project.
I shared briefly about why I grow Japanese Indigo (persicaria Tinctoria) at The Indigo Plot in the Glasgow Botanical Garden and the two methods I use for the dyeing with fresh leaves.
“Shades of Blue” is an event curated by textile artist Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw in Scotland with an exhibition about Indigo, plant, pigment and processes, a range of workshops and a program of online talks by masterdyers about Indigo processes sharing know how and recipes
In this online conversation William Ingram from “Threads of Life” will talk with Elisabeth about the mission of “The Threads of Life” in supporting a community of around 1000 weavers/dyers in the Indonesian Islands.
The Talk will be online live using ZOOM on the 10th of October at 2pm GMT. It will be recorded for replay and shared with registered participants.
After a presentation William will take questions.
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William Ingram is co-founder of Threads of Life, a Bali-based social enterprise that has worked with over 1000 traditional weavers in 50 communities on 12 Indonesian islands since 1997. As co-director of the Bebali Foundation since 2002 he has led the organization’s work with these same communities to support sustainable use of natural dyes and other non-timber forest products. Through his research and facilitation work he balances scientific rigor and traditional ecological knowledge both to empower indigenous people and educate those from his own Western culture. Born in the UK, he has lived most of his life in Indonesia. He is studying for a Master’s degree in Ecology, Spirituality and Religion and is author of “A Little Bit One O’clock: Living with a Balinese family”.
Threads of Life is a social enterprise based in Bali, Indonesia. Through retail galleries and an online store, Threads of Life markets heirloom-quality textiles and baskets made by weavers across Indonesia with local materials and natural dyes. Working directly with these weavers in a way that is environmentally responsible, promotes cultural integrity, and empowers women, Threads of Life offers economic opportunity and organizational support that encourages weavers to form independent producer groups and to manage their resources sustainably. Central to this support has been twenty years of field research documenting, testing, and teaching the archipelago’s natural dye traditions. The Bebali Foundation is Threads of Life’s non-profit arm and works in the same communities helping weavers build upon the economic, ecological and cultural opportunities the enterprise creates. Together, the Bebali Foundation and Threads of Life work with over 1,000 weavers in 40 weavers groups on 12 islands across the Indonesian archipelago.
When Threads of Life was established to resell natural dyed indigenous textiles, we had to become natural dyers and dye plant farmers to ensure the quality and integrity of what we purchased. This led to the estabishment of a research dye studio that developed into the production and teaching studio we have today in Bali, to the collection of a 300-species dye plant herbarium in collaboration with the Royal Botanical Gardnes at Kew, and to the growing of both our dye plant garden and our research nursery. In the indigo corner of our studio we maintain up to six 650-liter indigo vats that are supplied by outgrowers we have established across over 70 hectares of land in Java, Bali and Flores.
One of the Bebali Foundation’s ongoing projects is to facilitate an inter-community supply of indigo paste to traditional natural-dye weavers across southeastern Indonesia so that they can continue their dye work after they have used their locally grown Indigofera tinctoria, extending their prodution season and improving their incomes. We are doing this by establishing Strobilanthes cusia production and paste processing among farmers in central Flores, facilitating the establishment of trade to weavers on nearby islands, and showing these weavers how the indigo paste fits into their traditional process.
Prach Niyomkar – Mann Craft, is a Natural dyer, Natural Colour educator, Textile artist, and Indigo Specialist from Sakon Nakhon Thailand. He is the owner of the very renowned “Man garden” a Botanical garden in the North East of Thailand where he cultivates dye and fibber plants with an aim to educate the public of all ages in working with Nature in a sustainable way.
First trained a lawyer, he then branched out in Art. He returned to his roots in Sakhon Nakhon “World Craft City for Natural Indigo” (World Craft Council) to embrace local community, textile heritage and Natural dyes. There he runs a dye studio with regular demonstrations and training in extracting and using “Kram” (local name for Indigo from the Indigofera genus). He works and supports the local and active community of weavers to create collections of garments sold throughout Thailand. He is very active in the local scene with organising events to support local artisans such as his yearly December Man Gardens Craft Festival.
In his garden a newly built “Indigo Loom House” hosts demonstrations of cotton processing “from seeds to cloth” by local traditional artisans. They show the transformation of the cotton flower in the most sustainable cotton cloth.
Mann’s aim is to carry forward tradition and inform the young generation and visitors to the garden while interacting with the knowledgeable older generation (In Thailand we call this ‘Local Wisdom”). He is also very active on the international scene with collaborations with artists and organisations, in 2025 he was a guest speaker of The British Textile Biennal.
A long-term collaboration with Elisabeth Viguie-Culshaw has seen him during regular exchange visits, swapping skills in Botanical printing, indigo harvesting and processing, Mud dyeing, Natural dyeing.
Mann will be visiting Glasgow for the “Shades of Blue” exhibition to co-run an Indigo Masterclass opened to the public. See below for information
Michel Garcia a French Natural dyer has a reputation that precedes him when it comes to Indigo dyeing. Who has not heard about the Organic Fructose Vat 123? as simple as any children rhythm as intricate as the most intricate chemistry formula.
He is seen as such a reference when it comes to botanical knowledge that just casually mentioning you have been formed by him gives you a “certificate of excellence” and yet he is a simple man, but one that has achieved grand things by thinking slowly and logically to problem solve.
When I asked him about himself, he confided that for years he understood that “together we make great things” way better than he would be able to achieve on his own. This resonated with me… It is the very reason I started “The True Colour of the Cotinus” project. 100 people testing a variable is better than you testing 100 times…
For that reason, in 1998 he founded “Colour Garance” An association to push the practical research about Natural colour, in the South of France. Bringing together a group of keen people with different background skills to build knowledge about colour coming from plants. Still despite the large number of people involved he was the driving force behind the organisations and Indigo proved the colour that generated the most interest and questions, and I can believe this.
In those days what I commonly call “The Hydro vat” was used commonly by many to make up dye pots with good results but also health hazards and risks of accidents due to the instable nature of the reducing agent, Sodium dithionite. Michel believed there had to be an alternative other than the lengthy and difficult process of using fermentation to create a dye vat.
He told me about the collection of Moroccan carpets from his uncle, the uniqueness of their naturally dyed yarn. The record of the dyes used for creating them by local dyers, the discovery of the Henna, fig and date vats used for the wool in Northern Africa, their sustainable aspect and his own reflexion gradually building up on how to create a local sustainable, easy vat… a vat as simple as 123.
Yoshido Wada was the one asking “how much” when filming Michel for educational content for a DVD, during an International Shibori Symposium in Paris. And the recipe was eventually formulated. The recipe we follow today, the recipe that is used by thousands of dyers all over the world to make simple vats…
Later though he decided to focus less on the “how to”, to take a more scientific approach and explain “Why does it work?”. Today his work is focusing on this aspect of Natural Dyeing and I always think of him as this incredable gifted “Mad scientist” who has so much understanding of behind the scenes. It fascinates me.
“SHADES OF BLUE” conversations is a program of conversations and sharing sessions about Indigo the plants, pigment and processes curated by Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw natural dye and textile artist in Scotland.
In this session Elisabeth has invited sustainable Indigo dyer John Walker from Queensland (Australia) to share about forageing for Indigo and setting up SIG (Urine) vats a historical process allowing the reducing of Indigo pigment into a very low ph dye pot perfect for wool dyeing.
Paul Henry, a Natural Dye and Fiber from England, working with the renowned “Weald and Downland Living Museum” and Schools to educate adults and children to the beauty of growing and processing flax and specialises in the Sig vat for dyeing wool yarn with Indigo, he is an advocate for Reconnecting people with the greatness of producing their own clothes. He will join John in a discussion about the Heritage of the Sig vat.
John in his early dyeing days choose the SIG vat as a sustainable way to set up dye pots with “Local” and readily available ressource that would have no negative effect on the environemnt. John loves the community dyeing process and runs regular sessions in his “Play days”
They will share his process as well as tips and his views about dyeing sustainably with Indigo.
THIS CONVERSATION WILL BE RECORDED FOR FUTURE REPLAY BY REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS.
PLEASE FORGIVE THE ODD TIME, WE WANTED THIS SESSION TO BE AVAILABLE TO BE VIEWED ON ALL THREE CONTINENTS AUSTRALIA, AMERICA AND EUROPE were a lot of our viewers are… Please encourage John who will be talking at 6am for us 🙂
It is my pleasure to begin the “Shades of Blue” conversation program.
This Online live talk will take place on the 9th October at 7pm GMT on zoom. It will last 1 hour.
As an Natural dyer quite passionate about Indigo I set up “Shades of Blue” to highlight the many plants, pigments and processes and the many blues obtained by dyers. In a 5 weeks exhibition, workshops and some talks she will connect Indigo dyers in a program of conversations about Indigo vats and communities.
In this one hour presentation I will talk about The Indigo Plot my Natural Indigo garden in the grounds of The Glasgow Botanical Garden. I will share some growing tips.
I will demonstrate how to use fresh leaves in two methods to dye fiber and yarn.
I will introduct the rest of the speakers of the program.
THIS TALK IS RECORDED FOR REPLAY AND WILL BE SHARED WITH REGISTERED VIEWERS.
The event is taking place on zoom and a link with be shared closer to the time.
“Shades of Blue” is an event curated by Artist and Natural dyer Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw in Glasgow (Kirkintilloch) in Scotland in the Autumn of 2026. Focusing on the numerous shades that can be obtained using Indigo dye and the connections the Woldwide dyer community entertains, Elisabeth is setting up a 5 weeks exhibition in “The Auld Kirk” in Kirkintilloch, a program of in person and online workshops and a program of Conversations with Master dyers from different cultures.
in “The Shades of Blue” conversations, she will exchange with Indigo dyers from the World about their internation, processes with Indigo, the plants they use, the connection they make and their relationship with the environment. They will share their process and their “Blue”
The conversations will last 1 hours approx. After a presentation by the dyer, Elisabeth will engage with questions and there will be a chance for the viewers to ask direct questions.
50% of the fees paid for attending this talk less bank costs will be given to the speaker or his suggested charity. The other 50% will be used to organise “Shades of Blue” a personal, non grant aided event by Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw. We have made this event very affordable to encourage low earning public to attend.
ALL CONVERSATIONS WILL BE RECORDED AND SHARED WITH REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS TO LISTEN TO.
It is my pleasure to Welcome Kencho Dekar from Bhutan to the program. He is a knowleable Master dyer and focuses his work on local traditional dyes from local plants in Bhutan. He will share with us about his project of supporting the Bhutan fermentation Indigo vat from the growing of the plant to the making of the dye pot. He is also interested in the traditional tools to achieve his goal. He has recently put together a method to prepare clay dye pots to achieve his results. Through his work he supports a community of Bhutan farmers to cultivate the plants needed in the process.
Because of the absence of written dye books about his local heritage, Kencho has had to focus on empiric research to recreate many of the recipies and he has the support of University level Australian Academic in his process.
Kencho offered to dye a skein of silk with his Indigo process for the “100 Shades of Blue” Indigo dyers collaborative piece in the Scottish Exhibition.
During the talk he will introduce us to his Natural dye book you might be able to order a copy of.
