From the PNW to SW and back again.

Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ll admit to a lifetime love affair with color. It influences how I show up and move in this world every single day. From my professional career as a designer to crafts with my daughter; the clothes and accessories I wear to the art I gravitate towards; the way color defines place, history, community, and so much more…it is a unifying thread throughout my journey.

When I attended a 2-day workshop about earth pigment watercolors in Santa Fe; I was hooked. As someone who dabbles in quite a few art forms, I was so inspired by how natural color making can be used in various practices. Earth pigments for painting, flower pounding for fabric in sewing, natural dyeing yarn for knitting projects, botanical inks for calligraphy, and more. I had found the unifying thread for all of them and suddenly my need to study various crafts were connected not only together, but to a specific sense of place. My daily career is highly rooted in the digital, yet at my core I live and breath for the handmade, the very special detail that is truly one-of-a-kind. Natural color making has reinvigorated me in a way I did not expect. It creates a deeper connection to making with my hands, but also the natural resources around us. And as we all experience the happenings of today, returning to nature, craft, and community feels like a solid step. Come explore the natural color world with me - I find great joy in sharing what I have learned!

Random tidbits….

I am a mom to our sweet, wild little nugget - Ivy Wren and her bada** stepsister Belle (we’re working on a sweet collaboration - stay tuned!). I have an addiction to notebooks…seriously beyond too many. I do not sit still very often or well for that matter and call myself a serial hobbyist - watercolor, calligraphy, sewing, baking, knitting, etc. - you name it, I most likely have all the supplies. I used my mom as a reference in my first professional interview; if I can accomplish half of what she has that would be pretty rad. I wouldn’t be anything without my family and friends.

And my motto: Just keep going.

FAQs

  • In 2022, I took an earth pigment class with Stella Maria Baer learning how to make watercolor paints. And the rest, as they say, is history. Growing up and living in some of the most naturally beautiful places, the practice of natural color making has revealed a whole new perspective to the world around me. Going on a walk, hike, or adventure now always takes a bit longer as I examine the potential of natural color hiding in the plants or minerals. I’m amazed at how much can be learned in this practice—the history, connection to place, science, and more—no doubt a life long endeavor to remotely study it all. 

  • While I have not yet, I’m open to the opportunity. I’ve found as much as I love making with my hands, I thoroughly enjoy sharing what I’ve learned with others. Let’s chat if you have something in mind.

  • Sure thing! Natural color making produces a living product, albeit paint or a textile, something that is likely to evolve over time so there are no promises about the permanence. With that said, it’s part of its beauty and story. For me, documenting special trips or places through natural color is a favorite way to remember it. Not everything will work or be enough but let’s figure it out together!