Monday, February 15, 2016

Colors for the coldest day

I knew I was being foolish when I proposed a 1-day dye class for the Morgan, because it meant that I would be spending more time on prep than actually teaching (though, really, when is that NOT the case?). The day before the class, I had four pots on the front stove, three pots on the back stove (all the way on the other side of the building, which feels like it's a short city block long), and one double boiler on a portable burner in between.
The avocado pits were very satisfying to cut up, surprisingly. They feel and smell buttery. The class was listed as having only four dyes, but I am always so nervous about people pleasing that I more than doubled the output with extra dyes and mordants.
This my favorite part of dye classes. Though it was so cold that they didn't really dry, so we had an iron and hairdryer on call.
These are a student's samples, only one coat (ideally with paper, you do about three rounds of dye).
The final list: avocado skins, avocado seeds, red onion skins, yellow onion skins with alum and iron mordants, pomegranate, marigold, dahlia, hibiscus, persimmon, cochineal with alum and iron mordants, sumi ink, and an exhausted indigo vat. We were exhausted after playing with 14 colors, too, but I think everyone went home happy. It's a blessing and a curse, being the way I am, but I admit that I spent lots of time the following day admiring this sampler sheet.

5 comments:

Wildnana said...

As always; a great class. You plan and execute perfectly; you never disappoint!
Linda

Velma Bolyard said...

of course you admired it! hopefully from an armchair with chocolate and a cuppa and a good book and an occasional glance at the sampler. but i do know you...

aimee said...

thanks! i always love having you in class.

Anonymous said...

great sampler,fantastic variety. I love to see how different the colours are on paper compared to textile fibres.

aimee said...

it's fascinating to see the difference between how they take dyes, always!