I’ve just returned from far away – geographically, and even further mentally – so this week is a light post as I herd my thoughts and gather new contents. Wherever I go, I like to bring back a memento; not some useless knick-knack that’s going to gather dust on a shelf but ideally something that will get used up and create no waste, like artisanal soap or a local delicacy. Better yet: something from the land, mineral or vegetal, that I can use to make art or even just make marks.
Hope you had a good time in my home state of California, with its California poppies and elephant seals. Don't know if you were in Antelope Valley, that's THE place to be when it comes to tons of California Poppies in bloom. (at a certain season, of course)
I'd be most curious to find out if you can make a pigment from California poppies. (If you procured the means recently, or if a chance emerges in the future) I don't know if bark is conducive to producing pigments, but the bark of the redwood has a distinct color as well. While I don't think they used California poppy pigment, there were a number of local Impressionist painters in the early 20th century who produced, in my opinion, the most distinct oil paintings to come from California. Whether it's distinct, special or unique enough artistically is for those who know more than me to say: but it reflects the color of the landscape beautifully, especially some of those by Benjamin Brown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Impressionism
Apr 6, 2023·edited Apr 6, 2023Liked by Joumana Medlej
How wonderful to read more about colour from Iris! I accidentally made my first lake pigment when experimenting with my own Iris flowers - and managed to dye a small bandana green as well. (Pure luck as I didn’t know much about dye/pigments at the time.) I’ve been intrigued by the clothlets idea ever since I saw them. I’ve heard fleece works well, but yours look like a canvas style material? Off to track down your book... thank you!
It's always exciting to make an accidental discovery! I haven't tried fleece and haven't come across any mention of it so I'm intrigued. I'm using linen, which I think was the norm (linen scraps must have been always available, andit's nice and flat), but it needs to be mordanted first.
I'll see if I can track it down and send it to you. I'm remembering it was cotton fleece, used for absorbency, and oak gall ink, so I don't believe it was pre-mordanted (not needed?)
You mean oak gall ink stored in a cotton fleece clothlet? Unusual! And correct, that one's so tannic it doesn't require premordanting, but flower colours do. That's kind of you but don't worry, I'm sure it's not hard to procure :)
As I was looking at the pics of your processing the iris, I found myself wondering if poppies produce any interesting colors. Sure enough, you are thinking about it too! I live in Southern California so poppies are on my mind a lot right now!
Where did you find the pebble? Any conglomerate it washed out of would have clast origin profiles and I’m really curious as to what it is (as a geologist). The iris green is lovely. For your next spring trip, there are lots of poppies in non- natural settings you could collect. Thanks for show casing my state!
On Limantour beach, it was really out of context and on its own. If you're curious I'm happy to post you a piece of it to examine! This spring was freakishly cold (you don't need me to tell you) so all the flowers were delayed, for my luck! They should have been all over the place. But there's a public garden up my street where they grow them, so if they turn up this year I'll still have my chance...
It looks very blue in the brass mortar. I was thinking it is a very weathered blueschist. Does it have a micaceous component? If not, it’s likely a shale or graywacke. Regardless, they are all likely out of the Franciscan complex nearby on the inland side of the Pacific Coast Highway. The Franciscan Complex is comprised of sediments scraped off the Pacific plate diving under the North American plate. It has a very mixed lithology and has some low grade metamorphism. The Franciscan confounded geologists before plate tectonics. You have a very classic piece of California!
Thank you, that's fantastic information! I never imagined I'd actually find out what it is, let alone where it might be from. It looks blue in the mortar because when grey is juxtaposed with another hue (here the yellow brass), the eyes project the complimentary colour (here blue) onto the grey. Colour theory 101 from my university days coming into handy here! It's fine clay all the way through so I'm guessing it's shale. I love that it comes from the Franciscan Complex, means I can call this hue... Greyfriars 🤣🤣 (I'll see myself out).
Hope you had a good time in my home state of California, with its California poppies and elephant seals. Don't know if you were in Antelope Valley, that's THE place to be when it comes to tons of California Poppies in bloom. (at a certain season, of course)
I'd be most curious to find out if you can make a pigment from California poppies. (If you procured the means recently, or if a chance emerges in the future) I don't know if bark is conducive to producing pigments, but the bark of the redwood has a distinct color as well. While I don't think they used California poppy pigment, there were a number of local Impressionist painters in the early 20th century who produced, in my opinion, the most distinct oil paintings to come from California. Whether it's distinct, special or unique enough artistically is for those who know more than me to say: but it reflects the color of the landscape beautifully, especially some of those by Benjamin Brown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Impressionism
Fascinating and inspiring 🌿I shall get your book to read more🌻
Thank you! ☺️
How wonderful to read more about colour from Iris! I accidentally made my first lake pigment when experimenting with my own Iris flowers - and managed to dye a small bandana green as well. (Pure luck as I didn’t know much about dye/pigments at the time.) I’ve been intrigued by the clothlets idea ever since I saw them. I’ve heard fleece works well, but yours look like a canvas style material? Off to track down your book... thank you!
It's always exciting to make an accidental discovery! I haven't tried fleece and haven't come across any mention of it so I'm intrigued. I'm using linen, which I think was the norm (linen scraps must have been always available, andit's nice and flat), but it needs to be mordanted first.
I'll see if I can track it down and send it to you. I'm remembering it was cotton fleece, used for absorbency, and oak gall ink, so I don't believe it was pre-mordanted (not needed?)
You mean oak gall ink stored in a cotton fleece clothlet? Unusual! And correct, that one's so tannic it doesn't require premordanting, but flower colours do. That's kind of you but don't worry, I'm sure it's not hard to procure :)
As I was looking at the pics of your processing the iris, I found myself wondering if poppies produce any interesting colors. Sure enough, you are thinking about it too! I live in Southern California so poppies are on my mind a lot right now!
Let me know what you get if you try them! My guess would be warm yellow, possibly an orangish lake, but one never really knows before trying.
Where did you find the pebble? Any conglomerate it washed out of would have clast origin profiles and I’m really curious as to what it is (as a geologist). The iris green is lovely. For your next spring trip, there are lots of poppies in non- natural settings you could collect. Thanks for show casing my state!
On Limantour beach, it was really out of context and on its own. If you're curious I'm happy to post you a piece of it to examine! This spring was freakishly cold (you don't need me to tell you) so all the flowers were delayed, for my luck! They should have been all over the place. But there's a public garden up my street where they grow them, so if they turn up this year I'll still have my chance...
It looks very blue in the brass mortar. I was thinking it is a very weathered blueschist. Does it have a micaceous component? If not, it’s likely a shale or graywacke. Regardless, they are all likely out of the Franciscan complex nearby on the inland side of the Pacific Coast Highway. The Franciscan Complex is comprised of sediments scraped off the Pacific plate diving under the North American plate. It has a very mixed lithology and has some low grade metamorphism. The Franciscan confounded geologists before plate tectonics. You have a very classic piece of California!
Thank you, that's fantastic information! I never imagined I'd actually find out what it is, let alone where it might be from. It looks blue in the mortar because when grey is juxtaposed with another hue (here the yellow brass), the eyes project the complimentary colour (here blue) onto the grey. Colour theory 101 from my university days coming into handy here! It's fine clay all the way through so I'm guessing it's shale. I love that it comes from the Franciscan Complex, means I can call this hue... Greyfriars 🤣🤣 (I'll see myself out).