During the course of this project, I’ve been playing with making my own inks and pigments from foraged material such as pine cones, needles, acorn husks and garden/studio waste. My original goal was to create large scale works on paper from these experiments. However, the reality of creating enough ink or pigment to go large scale with one painting, let alone a series of work has proved to be a nearly impossible task. One challenge alone, I’ve encountered, is the problem with foraging to begin with. Only 8% of woodlands are public; meaning what is truly wild and how do I know what is appropriate for taking? Woodlands in this country are all so carefully managed- I actually don’t feel good about removing wild material, because I think if it’s been left, there must be a reason for it- the wildlife relies on its presence. So, if I do take something, I only take a small amount, and in order to collect enough material to create large works, I would have to travel to even more places to distribute my collecting, which equals more time in the car and is counter-intuitive to the ethos of this project.
Much of the material that I’ve been using for this project so far, was actually given to me from my parents in California- where there is an abundance of wild, unkempt and forgotten overgrowth. In particular, that of Oak trees. I have a box of acorn husks and oak galls, which I could, in fact, produce enough ink and pigment for at least one large scale work, if not a few. However, the acidity of oak gall ink has me wondering what I could realistically paint it on. One suggestion is vellum- but again ethos. Another idea, is working on an acrylic ground- but here we are again.
It has me re-evaluating the goal of this research and development. Why did I want to make large scale works on paper, again? In my proposal, I wrote:
“During lockdown, I created a book called My Life In Trees, which is an introspective look back at my life & the trees that were there. This foray into watercolour has since inspired me to create larger works on paper. I enjoy the spontaneity & delicacy of watercolour & would like to expand on scale & action, using my body to experiment with gesture.”
Ok- so paper felt like a less precious ground, conducive to quick gestures. I have been painting on paper, however, on a smaller scale to that of my original intention. That being said, I’ve also been painting larger works on canvas, that I do feel have been capturing the gestures I was hoping to achieve in my proposal- but I haven’t exactly considered these paintings to be part of this project, but more parallel to it because I am using painting and drawing media that was already in my studio, whilst also incorporating the natural material from my DYCP. I think of these works as hybrids, as I transition into a more sustainable practice and find a process that makes sense in the long run. Therefore, the work being produced incorporates acrylic and oil as well as my handmade watercolours and inks.
The Other Sister, 2024. A mess of stuff, incl. pigment, gum arabic, casein, acrylic, flashe, acorn husk ink, oil paint/stick/pastel on canvas, 90x150cm
I know “sustainable” is an impossible term. My life is hardly sustainable, let alone my art practice. In fact there’s no such thing as sustainable and in theory, we should only be looking at regenerative. For example, I should grow my own pigments rather than forage; make my own recycled paper, rather than buy; use repurposed textiles rather than canvas. Or better yet- not make anything at all. However, we then return to the existential questions of art and life and what’s the point of one without the other.
So, here’s where I am at. I am thinking more carefully about the pigment I buy. In fact, I am shifting to only buying powder pigment, but also considering where it comes from. I am also switching to casein binder as an alternative to petroleum-based acrylic binder and will continue to use linseed oil or gum arabic as appropriate. I’m also painting on repurposed canvasses as much as possible and will have a think about my painting supports and grounds going forward.