Learn a revolutionary new method of extracting indigo pigment from dried leaves of Indigofera plants. You can use this easy method in your home studio. No need for access to a field of indigo plants at their time of harvest. Michel will demonstrate the advantages of this fresh dye paste to expand your art practice. You will receive step-by-step instructions as well as recordings from the class to review and guide your practice at home. Michel will provide a manual covering INDIGO pigment, botanically, chemically, and with historical background. Additionally, he will demonstrate the extraction of  indigo pigment/dye from fresh indigo plants such as Persicaria tinctoria* (Dyer’s Knotweed) and Isatis tinctoria (Woad).

Persicaria tinctoria*, previously Polygonum tinctoria is commonly, erroneously called Japanese indigo. It was already in use in the Western Zhou period (1045–771 BC) in China and was the most important blue dye in East Asia until the arrival of Indigofera from the south. It is uncertain when the plant reached the Japanese archipelago. There are other indigo plants found growing and being used for blue dye in Japan including Strobilanthes cusia in Okinawa.

Saturdays, 14 & 21 August, 2021 | 9:00 – 12:00 PST / 18:00 – 21:00 France FULL
ZOOM Webinar | Slow Fiber Studios ANNEX | 1825 8th St. Berkeley, CA

The workshop will take place on two Saturdays, 3 hours each on 14 and 21 August 2021 with a week in between to experiment with your own indigo extraction and dye paste.  Enjoy your dye pigment in two ways – start a vat for dipping fabric or fiber or use the fresh paste for painting. Students will receive the manual, Students’ Prep & Info sheet, Q&A sheet, and access to the recordings for six months. 

Our international workshops are taught virtually and will be streamed through Zoom Webinar. A small group of fully vaccinated participants will be welcomed at the SFS Annex in Berkeley with indigo vats for their use. You can bring your own laptop, and the Annex will have a large monitor as well as a staff with a camera capturing participants’ work to show to the instructor. The workshop cost is $350. The workshop materials you will need are detailed in the Student’s Prep & Info Sheet. Additionally, 1kg of powdered dried Indigofera leaves, maximum of 2kg per student, can be purchased from shop.slowfiberstudios.com at a discount with a CODE that will appear on your Eventzilla Registration Receipt.

 Recordings from both sessions and all documents and PowerPoint presentations will be shared with the class for review and to accommodate students in different time zones. During the week between the two sessions, you will be given assignments and may use an online Google Form to ask questions, which will be answered and added to a Q&A document that will be shared with all students.

You will be invited to a PRIVATE FaceBook group “SFS Indigo & Shibori Workshop” to share images of your work and exchange comments.

PURCHASE TICKET

FULL