Dream Bird Studio

03/06/2021

Digging through photographs for an application, and found this one from early 2000's with my two wild things, and one of the favorite installations I ever created, "I wash my hands of it." Part of a group show in the old gallery of

Made up of three salvaged hand towel machines, with natural dyed/printed panels applied to the industrial hand towel rolls. It was fully interactive, each panel featured a question inviting participants towards self inquiry on issues of social and environmental justice. New questions could be viewed by pulling the towel, rolls were reset as needed.

Squeezes my heart a bit to remember those days with our lads so small, and my hopes for their future in a more just world. Now it is the future, and society is at long last looking at many of the same issues from the questions I was asking back then.

My hopes for this moment are for a collective awakening inspired by the events of the past year, that will lead us towards greater peace, justice and responsible environmental stewardship. As always, we are in this together.

03/04/2021

Clearing away and transforming some old energy in the studio with indigo magic.

These silks were left over from the days of dyeing playsilks and sewing baby slings around 15 years ago. Not sure at this point what the original dyes were on any of them.

These will all be in my shop update on the spring equinox for a screaming deal to adorn or play.

03/04/2021

Bucket of goodness for a big batch of full moon ink.

Thankfully the Sitka Spruce in the yard did not lose any big branches during the ice storm. It did however shed many bristling little needle covered branch tips.

More than enough to fill a ten gallon pot. So with the full moon love light a long languid cycle of simmers and soakings will commence. This is a patient ink, the reduction of storm and sunlight into a deep dark beauty takes weeks with this method.

I adore Sitka ink, it smells delicious, and has a warm richness that pleases me. This batch will eventually find its way into the kits I will put together for students taking the Naturalist Dyer class I am teaching end of June.

03/04/2021

I'm excited and honored to be able to present two workshops this year

Both courses are hybrid classes, student will have the option of attending in person or virtually.

In the first class, The Naturalist Dyer, we will get to know plants while making art materials with them. We will make prints on paper and fabric using ecoprinting techniques, learn to create several colors from one dye bath using modifiers, and make inks and pigments for our naturalist journals. June 29 +30

Students in the second class, Indigo Resist Dyeing, will learn how to fold and clamp fabrics to create crisp designs. Virtual students will receive a kit to set up an indigo vat at home. We will explore radial designs like flowers and stars, and linear repeating designs based on the beautiful itajime tradition of Japan. July 1st

Registration is open for Sitka Members at the links in my bio. You can take advantage of early registration by becoming a member of Sitka. Open enrollment for non members begins March 9th.

07/06/2020

Day 7: Indigo varietal pigment trial

So glad to hear in the comments yesterday that this experiment is proving helpful to some of you. I'm loving imagining little plots of indigo being tended near and far.

So three more jars were ready this morning, and the pigment is settling. The Senbon variety, in the last jar, seems like it needs just a few more hours. Clues are: a lackluster bottle lime test, pale color of ferment liquid, largely intact leaves, and only a faint scent. These indicate progress from yesterday, but a general lack of readiness.

The center of the other jars showed a lot more leaf breakdown than could be seen from the outside. Something seen in bigger extractions as well.

Again thanks to
for seeds, friendship, and support.




@ Astoria, Oregon

05/27/2019

Getting excited for my trip to Michigan in a few weeks, and sharing indigo dyeing with my home town.

05/22/2019

Here is a poster for my upcoming classes in Gladwin Michigan.

05/22/2019

Hey Michigan people, would you like to explore indigo dyeing with me? I'm coming your way in a few weeks on a pilgrimage to my hometown.

While there I am facilitating two indigo classes: Thursday June 13th in the evening, and Saturday June 15 during the day. Both are happening in Gladwin County.

Come connect to the story of blue, dip some cloth, and learn about making and maintaining your own indigo vat. (Special bonus: the workshop vats will be up for adoption at the end of the Saturday session.) Picture is from the indigo story cloth retreat in Austin Texas last summer.

05/22/2019

05/22/2019

Indigo last fall...

05/22/2019

Lots of Persicaria tinctoria babies growing now. Looking forward to fresh leaf dyeing and to extracting pigment in a few weeks.