The Future of Print: Second Life Colour - Part 2

It’s time for a little update on my VACMA (Visual Artist + Craft Maker Award) project, if you don’t know what I’m on about then have a look at my first blog post about it here - VACMA Part 1.

Woad grown from seeds + planted June 2024

So did Spring get you all pro active too? My pro activity got me over excited making my project grown arms and legs! I’ve planted hollihocks, budlia and onions! I’ve grown Marigolds from seed (still not flowering like). And I’ve grown Woad, Dyers Rocket, Madder and another one (that I forgot to put then name of on the tubs) from seed in to plugs.

Only issue is I planted the last 2 outside then promptly started ripping them out the ground the next week because I forgot they were there and thought they were weeds. I’m not much of a gardener, as anyone could see from looking at my garden. It looks like the neighbouring fields extension! But I am enjoying it.

Lavender (bought 2023) + Marigolds (grown from seeds planted May 2024)

As well as attempting to grow all these plants (which I wasn’t planing to this year) I’ve also been out and about salvaging materials. Like fallen cones and lichen from Crathes. Cliff top flowers from the nature reserve at Crawton. But between ruining picnics on the hunt for lichen and hanging over cliffs I’ve also been gathering food waste! I’ve made printing pastes from melon skin, pomegranate skins and next up its onion skins. I can’t wait to see what the red skins will turn out like.

Pomegranate skin, dried April 2024

Collecting Gorse between Newtonhill + Muchalls

Image by my son Finlay

Other than over flowing the project I’ve also hit another stumbling block. So I know how to get the percentage of a print paste when making from extract but how do I get this when making from gathered materials like berries? Or do you not as it is so varying? One for me to work out … or if you know please comment! I’ve also had the issue of over thinking this project to make it perfect. But the whole thing is to play and see what happens. I think this is because I know there will be an exhibition at the end to show what I’ve found out. I need to stop thinking about that. Maybe I should call it a sharing instead?

Anyway the push is on now to get all the materials I have gathered made in to pastes and get testing! I’ve bought a second hand fridge for the studio so the pastes last longer which is great because the gorse was a bit wiffy.

*Top Tip - don’t leave buddleia in water in the window for a week. It will go foosty and stinks!

Until next time!

- Mhairi

Picking wild flowers from my garden

Muchalls - May 2024

Thank you to Aberdeenshire Council + Creative Scotland for supporting this project though VACMA