Natural Inks with Amanda Thesiger

What to expect

We are delighted that Amanda Thesiger has agreed to return this year to run this workshop with us. Amanda is a wonderful artist and teacher who will introduce you to the magic of making and experimenting with natural inks. Amanda writes: Unleash your inner alchemist and stir up creativity through ink-making! In this workshop you will make your own inks and pens from found and foraged material - learning some of the many processes of ink-making, from preparation, to extracting colour, to preserving your inks. You will explore ways of working with them and use the natural colours you have made to investigate the local environment through drawing. Inks are liquids or pastes that contain colour. Many trees, plants and minerals can be used to make ink; from the soil to the roots, from the nuts to the leaves to the flowers and the fruits, providing different hues through the seasons. Natural inks are alive and can vary subtly on different papers and as they dry. Timings and amounts are approximate – and there’s a fair bit of testing and trying out. This workshop will show you how to produce simple inks from vegetables/fruits, chalk and charcoal, earth, bark and galls, using different processes. Steeping berries to create a rich crimson/purple ink, simmering red cabbage to release its blue hues (and playing with its ph to get new colours), or coaxing buttery yellow from alder buckthorn bark; these are just some of the rich, gentle colours that you – and nature can produce. This workshop is perfect for: • Artists and calligraphers who want to add a personal touch to their creations • Nature enthusiasts who want to connect with the world around them creatively • Anyone who enjoys hands-on learning and exploring new skills To find out more about Amanda look on our tutors page and check out her website.