This workshop will be a celebration of these three special plants in the medieval context. A part of the day will be learning about the significance of these plants and how they were used in both artwork creation and the dyeing of fabric many hundreds of years ago. Together these plants create the primary colour trio, red, yellow and blue so we will see how a whole colour spectrum can be achieved from these three initial sources.
During the day there will be demonstrations of some of the methods of how colour was obtained from these plants and methods of turning them into dyes, inks and pigments (inc how to make rose madder and lake weld) with time to experiment with inks and paints made from them.
Participants will go home with a bottle of ink made from each of these colours as well as a colour chart poster to reference each of the colours and the different types of art materials that can be made with them.
What to expect
Time at ArtisOn is designed to take you away from it all and provide the environment, the time and the guidance you need to create. You can expect a warm welcome, skilled and friendly tutors plus the chance to meet like-minded people keen to share ideas and experiences. You can even leave us to clear up the mess! There will usually be two workshops going on and we encourage everyone to mingle and be nosey about what the other workshop is up to.
Arrive in time to meet other participants over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits before beginning your session at the appointed time. There will be a mid-morning break for refreshments and a chance to talk over progress with others. Lunch is usually around 12:45 for about 45 mins – you can expect a homemade 2 course lunch. The main course will be delicious but don’t overdo it as the puds are usually worth waiting for! There will be a further afternoon break with the most wonderful cakes from Roots & Fruits Home Bakery, a North Yorkshire micro-bakery producing handmade bread and cakes. All food and refreshments are included in the price of the workshop.
Finish time is given as a target – there are occasions when the session may overrun so do let us know if you need to be away promptly.
We aim for your day to be a real treat… of course you could always learn a new skill in a shed or a draughty village hall with a curly sandwich, but we want you to have more fun than that! So we make it a day being looked after, with good food, good company and great inspiration!
What you’ll need to bring with you
Please bring an apron and wear clothes you don't mind getting messy.
