Somewhere Inside of FloridaSo what do you do when you are "in the bush" and you are out of paints? Do what Bartram or Audubon did. Make your own. This frog was painted with the residue of boiled purple milkweed leaves for the green and sumac leaves (not poison sumac for God's sake!) for the black. Allow the material to steep overnight and strain it through cloth the next day. Mix in four parts cold water and one part vinegar for a fixative. It is important not to stand downwind as this does not smell like grandma's potpourri. Another lesson learned......wear rubber gloves when you are straining. My hands now look like they are in the first stages of decomposition......Zombie Hands!
Next I might look for wild papyrus and create a substrate on which to paint. Or, if I can wrestle down one of these feral boars I see evidence of, maybe I can make some really good brushes from the bristle. If you know me, you know that this is not likely. I'm not really a "back to nature" kind of guy. But it's fine for a rare week or so every few years. Now I'm thinking of a pork BBQ sandwich with cole slaw.I saw a Dairy Queen a few miles back and that's where Karl and I are headed,..... with my black hands.
Suvo .......... somewhere near a creek inside Florida
Cool process. Have you tried any of the local berries?
ReplyDeleteNice painting too.
Zombie Hands!?!
ReplyDelete...at least its Halloween!!!
enjoy!
love it!
ReplyDeleteHello, Suvo!
ReplyDeleteLast year we made ink from elderberry juice in my backyard and cut bamboo for drawing pens. Also Poke wed makes for good purple color (toxic, though!)
Also, if you take a yucca leaf and chew the cut end for a long time, you'll get a nice brush. I did this in the Arizona desert one year and they turned out pretty good. One last thing. Oak galls are supposd to be a good source for brown ink with charcoal.
Very cool! By the way...if you can't get to Dick Blick...you should simply go down the street to Utrecht Art! Their prices and selection are just as good (if not better!!).
ReplyDelete