I set out to write this blog post before the snow settles on the ground here in Canada. We did experience our first snowflakes of the year last night, so I finally felt “the push” to post this recipe. I first heard about transforming grass into ink when I watched an online Zoom lecture by Marjorie Morgan. Marjorie is a natural ink maker, artist, printmaker and environmentalist. I highly recommend watching this workshop if you are interested in learning more about Natural Inks. Making Ink with Natural Materials Zoom Lecture/Demonstration for Greenfield Community College on 9/23/20!
Making Ink with Natural Materials by Marjorie Morgan
Now let’s talk a bit about what makes grass green. To break it down simply, grass leaves collect energy from sunlight through photosynthesis. The photosynthesizing chlorophyll in the leaf gives grass its green color. The grass ink recipe that I will share with you today creates a vibrant green ink that is such a beautiful and simple way to begin your natural ink journey.
Ingredients and Materials:
fresh grass
water
a blender (I use a Magic Bullet that I keep for ink-making only)
a funnel and coffee filter or a panty hose sock or a piece of cheesecloth/fabric and an elastic
a glass jar with a lid
a spoon or fork
paper (try different types i.e. watercolour paper and/or natural paper)
brush and/or eye dropper
a rag
pencil/pen and label
clove (optional)
Instructions:
-Grab 2 handfuls of fresh grass.
-Put the grass in your blender and add a little bit of water.
-Turn your blender on and blend until you get a rich green liquid. If the grass is struggling to blend, you may need to stir it up and blend more or add a little bit more water (it will smell like a freshly mowed lawn).
-Cover a glass jar with a filter of your choice: a funnel and coffee filter, a panty hose sock or a piece of cheesecloth/fabric secured with an elastic.
-Pour the ink into the glass jar through the filter.
-Using a paint brush, your fingers or an eye dropper, experiment with your new green ink on paper. You may wish to spray water onto your paper and then add drops of the ink and watch the ink travel into and across the water.
-When you are finished painting with the ink, label the glass jar, put the lid on and refrigerate.
The ink makes a rich dark green (that darkens as it dries) and lasts surprisingly long. Keep out of direct sunlight to prolong the colour on paper. You may wish to add a clove to your jar to help preserve the ink.
Late January, a friend and I drove a few towns over to visit the lovely little village of Elora. The shop of LemonTree Interiors & Co was first on our list to visit. As we were parking, I recognized Sophia from her Instagram account. You need to understand that Sophia is a bit of a design “rock star” to me, so I was a tad nervous to introduce myself. I noticed that she was getting boxes out of her car, so I pulled up my “big girl” pants and asked if she was indeed Sophia of LemonTree Interiors and if she needed some help. Sophia gracefully embraced my fan-girl approach and welcomed us into her quaint little shop.
As we entered, I was swept away by the elegant curation of vintage, sustainable and modern decor. Naturally, I began chatting about a new stamping ink that I was working on and then Sophia got a twinkle in her eye and reached into a drawer. She pulled out gorgeous teak stamps that had been hand carved in India and said that she had been waiting for “just the right moment” to unearth the stamps.
I left the shop that day with a few decor treats for myself, a bag full of teak stamps and a sense of excitement for our serendipitous art collaboration which we would later name INKPRINTS of time.
Let me tell you a bit about my process in creating these pieces. Crafting my stamping ink from lampblack soot is a slow and intensive process, but it never fails to reward me with a rich, velvety black. I add in a few other secret ingredients to ultimately form a vegan, sustainably sourced and archival ink. When I paint the ink onto the antique stamps it creates pure “black” magic.
The paper is created by Canadian based company Papeterie Saint Armand. It is a flax/cotton canal paper fashioned from left over straw that is not composted in farm fields. This rough paper is made by mixing the beaten straw with rags. No bleach, chemicals or cooking is required. I hand-deckled the edges to create an unpolished juxtaposition with the black frame.
Inkprints of Time speaks of trusting the process. This series honors the idea that concepts can simmer until “the moment” arrives. For both Sophia and I, the moment arose with a serendipitous encounter that developed into these ink-prints that embrace time honoured traditions and pay homage to slow artisanal process.
To purchase these 14” x 14” framed pieces as either a set or as individual pieces, head over to LemonTree Interiors & Co where you will be delighted and inspired.
This line from Hazel Prior’s novel Ellie and the Harp Maker sparked in me an entire series of paintings.
The rich part of this series is the black ink that I handcrafted from creating my own lampblack. Lampblack is a black pigment made from soot. Using this black pigment, I composed a recipe to form a rich, black archival ink that is a delight to watch flow across the page.
The “resonance” series is built around the concept of resonance.
lexico.com defines resonance as:
The quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating.
The power to evoke enduring images, memories, and emotions.
“The sound was rich, wild and resonant” resonated or struck a chord with me because sound and music is such an integral part of my process. I listen to “flowing” music that reminds me of water as I spread the ink on the paper. Fluidity of my mind and body is essential to ensuring that the thread that I lay down doesn’t appear jagged. When I add in the many tiny marks, I listen to folk music and add the marks to the beat of the songs. This helps me to enjoy the tedious task and, in a way, become a part of the rhythm of the painting.
I also resonate with the wild aspect of this line from Prior’s novel. Being outside in the wild completes my soul. Another line from Ellie and the Harp Maker that I resonated with is: “A walk in the wilds is what I need.” It is as though the “wild” speaks to me through the sound of the wind through the trees saying: “you are complete.” So much so, that my paintings reflect the wilds around my studio. As I lay down the ink, I envision the rolling hills and the trees that dot the horizon as marks on the page. The lines of thread are the paths I take through the hills and forests as I resonate in the wild.
It is my hope that this new series that I have entitled RESONANCE urges you to quietly reflect on “small truths”:
“The kinds of truth that art gives us many, many times are small truths. They don’t have the resonance of an encyclical from the Pope stating an eternal truth, but they partake of the quality of eternity. There is a sort of timeless delight in them.” -Seamus Heaney
May this artwork compel you to “partake of the quality of eternity.” May it help to quench that space in our souls that can’t be captured, like a glorious yet fleeting sunset. May it help you capture that magical emotion that we wish to enclose with our hands and hide in our hearts. And may you be inspired to discover the wilds of your world.
The “resonance” series will be released in my Etsy shop Wednesday, May 27 at 12 pm EST. Use the coupon code RESONANCE to receive a 10% discount.
I am deeply grateful that the process of making natural inks compels me to NOTICE my natural surroundings. Last year was the first time that I noticed coltsfoot flowers along the side of the road. From a distance, coltsfoot flowers resemble dandelions and they generally grow in dry gravelly habitats such as roadsides. In Southern Ontario, coltsfoot flowers appear in April, often before the last of the snow melts. Flower heads have even been known to push through snow. Coltsfoot is a perennial weed native to Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia. Coltsfoot was probably introduced from its native range to the United States by early European settlers for its medicinal properties. It was present in the United States as early as 1840 and present in Canada in the 1920s. *FEIS
The experience of picking coltsfoot flowers is so very intoxicating. The earthy smells of the soil, the gleeful songs of the birds and the visceral feel of life in your hands overwhelms the senses. I like to think of coltsfoot ink as capturing the promise of spring.
If you would like to capture the essence of spring in your artwork, the following recipe will create a spring minty-yellow.
A few notes about the ingredients:
You may not have distilled water, but you can still experiment with tap water, and then when you can get your hands-on distilled water, you can compare colour outcomes.
Potassium Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) is a metallic salt that acts as a mordant. In my experience, alum helps to make yellow inks more vibrant. There is controversy over the use of alum in the natural dye world, and when I dye fabric, I use soya milk as a mordant as recommended by Rebecca Desnos. There is no information available on the toxic nature of alum when creating natural inks, so I have justified my use of alum by taking special care when using alum to make coltsfoot and goldenrod ink. I welcome any advice or kind words about the potential toxic use of alum.
If you don’t have any alum on hand, it is easily purchased in a grocery store. Alum is generally considered the least toxic, or even a non-toxic mordant because it has long been used an additive to both foods and drinking water. However, it does form weak sulfuric acid when dissolved in water. When the water is heated (during the mordant process), this can result in acidic fumes which are corrosive, and irritating when inhaled. Always keep a lid on a hot mordant bath. Moisture from bare skin can cause more concentrated sulfuric acid to form on contact and cause chemical burns. Always wear gloves when handling mordants. Not only may some chemicals cause irritation, but skin is also porous and can absorb chemicals if not protected. Have a set of utensils and cooking materials for ink making only. Potassium aluminum sulfate is also corrosive to many metals. *alpenglowyarn
White Vinegar is a natural mordant that helps the color last longer. I use a cleaning vinegar that is 10% Acetic Acid (double that of regular white vinegar).
Gum Arabic thickens, helps with controlling ink flow, binds the ink to the paper and helps preserve. Gum Arabic is sometimes called acacia gum or acacia powder and it is a vegan substance made from the natural hardened sap of two types of wild Acacia trees. You probably won’t have gum Arabic powder lying around, but if you are a watercolour artist, you may have a bottle of liquid gum Arabic. Either way, you don’t need to have gum Arabic to create coltsfoot flower ink and you can just skip that part of the recipe. Also, there is no absolute rule for exactly how much gum Arabic to add to ink. You can test different amounts with test strips to figure out what amount works for you.
If you don’t have any gum Arabic, you can also use Grass-fed gelatin. In a small pan over medium heat, heat 1 cup water, and 2 tsp. gelatin. Stir over heat until completely dissolved. Add 1 tsp. of the gelatin solution to your ink at a time, until your ink reaches desired consistency and thickness. For a vegan alternative, experiment using agar agar.
Raw unfiltered honey- This can be added straight to the ink until it reaches the consistency that you are looking for. Too much and it can get too sticky! *The Hippy Homemaker
If you don’t have 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol, you can also use different purity levels (ie. 60%) or preserve with a clove, or a few drops of wintergreen oil or thyme oil. If you have none of these ingredients on hand, just be sure to refrigerate the ink and take notes on how early mold appears on the ink.
Coltsfoot Flower Ink Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups of distilled water
3 cups of fresh coltsfoot flowers
3 tsp cleaning vinegar (I use Allen’s Double Strength Cleaning Vinegar)
2 tsp alum
1 1/2 tsp gum Arabic
8-10 drops of 99.9% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
Materials: *keep these materials ONLY for making inks*
rubber gloves
stainless steel or glass pot, bowl, 2 jars (make sure that one has a lid)
stirring spoon and fork
fine mesh strainer
measuring spoons
coffee filter and small funnel OR panty hose sock (you can wash and reuse) OR a piece of cheesecloth or fabric and an elastic
dropper (not necessary)
Directions:
-simmer the coltsfoot flowers, water, vinegar and alum for about 20 to 30 minutes (I leave the flowers to soak overnight).
-strain the flowers into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer
-strain the ink again into a jar using a coffee filter and a small funnel OR to create less waste, stretch a panty hose sock over the jar and strain OR stretch cheesecloth or fabric over the jar and secure with an elastic (strain again if you wish into the second jar)
*you can wash and reuse the panty hose, cheesecloth or fabric*
-to add in the powdered gum Arabic, heat up the ink again but don’t bring to a boil (you can use a microwave). Whisk the powder into the heated ink a little at a time with a fork until dissolved. I have also used a blender to quickly mix in the powder.
-when cool, add 8-10 drops of alcohol per 1-ounce bottle of ink, OR add a clove, OR add a few drops of wintergreen oil or thyme oil)
-if possible, make sure that there is no air space inside the bottle (to help prevent mold growth)
-secure the lid and refrigerate to help preserve (shake before use)
NOTES
Alum and Vinegar natural mordants to help the color last longer and stay
Gum Arabic thickens, helps with controlling ink flow, binds the ink to the paper and helps preserve.
Alcohol prevents mold
A few final tips:
It can be helpful to make ink samples during the slow process of creating inks. I use scrap pieces of watercolour paper, but just use whatever paper that you have available. Be sure to write down the time and other details (I have learned the hard way by thinking that I will remember).
Experiment with how light-fast coltsfoot ink is by leaving your samples and paintings in a sunny window.
I look forward to viewing your coltsfoot ink adventures using my hashtag #natureswildink or send me a photo at melissajenkins@live.ca
You can purchase a 1-ounce bottle of coltsfolt ink in my Etsy shop
Hi there! As a natural ink maker and abstract artist, I am excited to share a recipe for those looking to dive into the world of natural inks or looking to be creative with simple ingredients and materials without leaving home.
First of all, without journeying too far into the technical differences between paint and ink, I made use of the word “paint” in the title of this post to help reach more people looking to create from home. But for the remainder of this post, I will refer to the “paint” created from tea as INK.
I adapted this recipe from a blog post entitled “Natural Plant Inks” by Jyotsna Pippal, a scientist, an artist and a maker of sustainable and non toxic watercolours. Jyotsna sells her Artisanal Handcrafted Watercolors in her Etsy shop LostinColours.
A few notes about the ingredients:
You may not have distilled water on hand, but you can still experiment with tap water, and then when you find distilled water, you can compare colour outcomes.
You can experiment with different types of tea and their colour outcomes. I used orange pekoe tea for this particular dark brown colour in the photos, but rooibos tea will create a more orange colour.
Gum Arabic thickens, helps with controlling ink flow, binds the ink to the paper and helps preserve. Gum Arabic is sometimes called acacia gum or acacia powder and it is made from the natural hardened sap of two types of wild Acacia trees. You probably won’t have gum Arabic powder lying around, but if you are a watercolour artist, you may have a bottle of liquid gum Arabic. Either way, you don’t need to have gum Arabic to paint with tea ink and you can just skip that part of the recipe. Also, there is no absolute rule for exactly how much gum Arabic to add to ink. You can test different amounts with test strips to figure out what amount works for you.
If you don’t have 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol, you can also use different purity levels (ie. 60%) or preserve with a clove, or a few drops of wintergreen oil or thyme oil.
Tea Ink Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup distilled water (regular tap water is fine too)
1 tbsp loose tea (or two tea bags)
½ tbsp of baking soda
½ tsp gum Arabic (not necessary)
8-10 drops of 99.9% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol (not necessary)
Materials:
stainless steel or glass (these are nonreactive materials) pot, bowl, 2 jars (make sure that one has a lid), stirring spoon and fork
measuring spoons
coffee filter and small funnel OR panty-hose sock (you can wash and reuse) OR a piece of cheesecloth or fabric and an elastic
dropper (not necessary)
Directions:
-steep tea in boiling water for about 20 minutes
-strain the tea into a jar using a coffee filter and a small funnel OR to create less waste, stretch a panty hose sock over the jar and strain OR stretch cheesecloth or fabric over the jar and secure with an elastic (strain again if you wish into the second jar)
-stir in the baking soda and boil the tea in your pot for a few minutes
-pour the tea into a jar again and whisk in gum Arabic, a little at a time, with a fork until dissolved (if it is not dissolving, heat the ink again but don’t bring to a boil) *you can skip this step if you don’t have gum Arabic powder on hand*
-when cool, add 8-10 drops of alcohol per 1-ounce bottle of ink , OR add a clove, OR add a few drops of wintergreen oil or thyme oil *if you don’t have these items on hand, just be sure to keep cool in the refrigerator*
-secure the lid on your jar, label the name/date on the jar and refrigerate to help preserve (tea tends to go moldy)
-shake before use
NOTES
Gum Arabic thickens, helps with controlling ink flow, binds the ink to the paper and helps preserve
Alcohol helps to prevent mold
A few final tips:
It can be helpful to make ink samples during the slow process of creating inks. I use scrap pieces of watercolour paper, but just use whatever paper that you have available. Be sure to write down the time and other details (I have learned the hard way by thinking that I will remember).
This recipe helps you extend the life of the ink with preservation ingredients, but if mold does appear in the tea ink, simply scoop it off.
Experiment with the light-fast nature of tea ink by leaving your samples in a sunny windowsill (be sure to label the date).
Be sure to label the jar and to keep out of the reach of children or pets.
You may wish to refer to my blog post entitled How to Paint with Natural Inks: Part 1 where I give suggestions as to how to paint with ink. A few tools or supplies that may come in handy are rags, lids or bottle caps, paint brushes, a dropper, a palette knife, a spray bottle of water and even your fingers.
I look forward to viewing your tea ink adventures using my hashtag #natureswildink or send me a photo at melissajenkins@live.ca
In the few years that I have been on this journey of handcrafting and painting with natural inks, I have developed my own pathways and discovered a few new trails along the way. Recently I was inspired, from a practical perspective, to collect recycled bottle caps and lids to use as ink vessels in my natural inks workshops. But filling avocado shells and milkweed pods with natural inks helps me to establish a much more organic atmosphere as I create in my studio.
In my last post, I focused on painting natural inks onto watercolour paper. But I have had quite a few enquires asking if natural inks can be painted onto canvas. I was directed by a fellow artist (Pamela Bates) to experiment with painting watercolour ground onto canvas. Watercolour ground is a primer that can be applied to a multitude of surfaces. The finish and appearance is very much like cold press watercolour paper.
Although painting onto a canvas with watercolour ground certainly doesn’t have the same magical absorption of watercolour paper, I found that there was an upside. Unlike watercolor paper, I was able to wipe off the ink with a damp rag if I wasn’t happy with the placement. Please note though, that even with a ground, canvas doesn’t typically like water and can create buckling (thank you Lisa Mclinden Art for the tip).
First of all, in my mind, there is no right or wrong way to paint with natural inks. I have developed a system that works for me, that I will share, but I also look forward to hearing how others approach painting with inks.
Tools:
-music
-watercolour paper
-bottle caps, lids or watercolour palette
-jar of water
-rag
-spray bottle
-palette knife
-2 eye droppers (one for water and one for the ink)
-a few paint brushes (I like an angle brush for applying ink)
-rocks (to weigh the paper down)
The first thing is to “set the mood”. Not to get too “woo” on you, but choosing music that puts you into a “flow” state will help your hands work with the fluidity of the inks. Pour a small amount of your ink (you can always add more) into a bottle cap, lid or watercolour palette. Have a bottle of water on hand and a rag to dry off your brush. Depending on the style of art that you hope to paint, will also determine how you apply the inks. If you are creating realistic and detailed art, then adding water may not be necessary at all. I work in an abstract style that embraces the movement of liquids, so adding water is an integral part of my process.
I usually begin by spraying or dropping water in a few places on my watercolour paper and then use my palette knife or my fingers to spread the water around. I love to create magical moments by using an eye dropper to drop the ink onto the water and watch it travel into and along the water trails. I take a rather intuitive approach and use either my palette knife, paint brush or fingers to spread the ink or help the ink along on its journey with the water.
If I am trying to create a more solid or intense colour, I use an eye dropper or paint brush and directly apply the ink to the watercolour paper.
I also like to use rocks not only for colour inspiration and as a way to “ground” my thoughts in natural objects, but also as paper weights. The more water that I add to the paper, the more that the watercolour paper will buckle. I place rocks on the paper to counteract the buckling. This way, I don’t bother with painting tape and the risk of ripping my painting. Once the painting is completely dry, I will flip over the painting, spray a bit of water on the backside, iron it flat and then quickly place it under heavy books to flatten it.
Note: If you are dipping your paint brush directly into the ink bottle, be sure to wash your brush out before dipping it into another ink. Simply dip your brush into your jar of water and then dry it on your rag. When you are finished painting, you can wash out your paint brushes with a little bit of dish soap.
Those are a few of my methods of working with natural inks. Do you have any tips for painting with natural inks?
melissa mary jenkins art 