During this retreat weekend you will explore creating natural inks from plants, berries, minerals and metals. We will talk about colour and look into where particular pigments have come from historically. We will also discuss water, mordants and binders and the different effect they have on the outcome, as well as exploring different methods of extraction.
There will also be a chance to go foraging beside the sea and gather bits to bring back to make an ink from.
It will be a fun, playful and experimental weekend open to everyone and all abilities.
The workshop runs from 11am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday and attendance on both days is required.
Day 1
Flora will begin with a brief introduction to her own journey into ink making and will share her ink journals and experiments which show a variety of seasonal inks made during a whole year. We will look at natural dying books to get a better idea of which plants can produce colour, as well as study Jason logons book, ‘Make Ink’ which Flora heralds as the Bible of ink making! Flora will also bring a selection of ingredients to make a big batch of a test ink to demonstrate the most common process of heat extraction which will be simmering away over our lunch break.
After lunch we will experiment with the effects different acids and alkalis have on the ink and all the colour ways that can be achieved.
The remainder of the afternoon will be spent experimenting and playing with colour, as well as a potential late afternoon foraging trip to the beach for things to create with on the Sunday.
Day 2
Weather depending, we will meet to start the day with an optional sea swim before starting in the workshop at 11am, where we will begin to explore how to make ink from minerals, chalk, charcoal, and ocher. Before lunch we will create our own charcoal on a fire and experiment with making that into ink.
The remainder of the day will be carrying on playing with ingredients and exploring the best methods of extraction for different materials, as well as talking about fermenting various ingredients.
Refreshments and a simple, vegetarian lunch will be provided on each day over the weekend.
What to bring:
a notebook for recording your experiments
a swimming costume (optional)
All other materials & paper will be provided.
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Stay with us:
During this retreat weekend, participants are invited to stay and book into an all-inclusive weekend package that includes a two-night B&B stay at Kindred House (Fri 12th & Sat 13th September), along with full access to the weekend workshops. Guests can also request to stay on an extra night on the Sunday if required.
Kindred House is offered not only as a space to retreat to, but also to connect within as we invite our guests to be active participants in cultivating our community. Our workshops & various events play a key role in the spirit of Kindred House, in crafting an environment that actively inspires & encourages connection, creativity & learning.
Our retreat weekends make a wonderful gift to oneself or a thoughtful offering to a loved one. They provide an ideal opportunity for a weekend getaway in our sanctuary beside the sea, whilst having the opportunity to get creative, learn a new skill & make new friends along the way.
Rooms are limited & tend to get booked quickly so get in touch early to avoid disappointment.
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The workshop weekend is limited to 8 places to ensure a more intimate experience. If dates need to change, you’ll be able to swap to the new date or obtain a refund if you’re unable to make the new date. Should you need to cancel your booking, we will try our best to fill your spot, otherwise tickets are non-refundable.
If you would like to request to pay in 2 or 3 instalments, please get in touch at info@kindred-house.com
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About your teacher: Flora Wallace
Flora Wallace is a ceramic artist, ink maker and painter based in Stroud, UK. Much of her work is inspired by observing natural forms and the behaviour of plants, animals and fungi. She also works closely with her dreams through a long-term practice of dream documentation, analysis and automatic drawings. She is particularly interested in the surreal and mysterious nature of images and symbols that can emerge from the unconscious mind. She explores ecological processes and the materialities of places through her work by transforming seasons and moments in time into inks and pigments and glazes. She creates ceramics using porcelain and clays gathered from the regions around her home in Gloucestershire.
She is a founding member of the arts collective TUMP, who use a range of art mediums to playfully engage with and reimagine the burial chambers and megaliths of southwest of England. She is also one half of the band Don’t, and has been exploring making her own ceramic instruments.