Invasive Inks: Making Natural Inks and Pigments with Elissa Callen

Please note this series takes place over two separate dates and is a hybrid of virtual and in-person.

• Part 1 is virtual on May 16th from 6-8 pm and will be recorded
• Part 2 is in-person at Theodore Payne Foundation on June 10th from 9 am -12pm

Wondering what to with the weeds from your garden? Or how to make meaning from the excessive of invasive plants around us?

Join Elissa Callen in exploring the use of California invasive plants as art materials for inks, watercolor, and environmental restoration. Throughout the course, students will learn about native and invasive plants, how to ethically harvest plants as color for dyes, inks, and pigment, and how to process them into inks and watercolor. Students will also gain a better understanding of the importance of building a deeper relationship with the natural environment through learning about conservation and the ecological impact of their artistic practice.

This class will be specific to the Southern California invasive plants that can be found in the Spring and will take place in multiple parts:

Part 1 will be on Zoom Tuesday, May 16, from 6-8 pm, to go over specific invasive plants for color and how to ethically harvest them. After the session, students will be encouraged to go out and collect their own invasive plants reviewed in class to dry and bring to class for Part 2. There will be option to collect on scheduled dates at Theodore Payne Foundation

Part 2 will be in-person at Theodore Payne Foundation Saturday, June 10th, 9am-12 pm for a hands-on ink and pigment making experience! We will use the plants everyone gathered on their own and process them into a variety of colors for play on paper. Attendees will leave with their own small pan of invasive plant watercolor.

A very special class not to be missed!

Elissa Callen is an artist working with local plants and fungi to make natural pigments, inks, and dyes that she further uses as the staple materials in her art practice. She holds a degree in fine art, has a professional background in horticulture, and nearly ten years of experience researching and practicing sustainably using natural materials for color.

She is passionate about California ecology and believes in using her work with natural materials as a means of increasing community interest in environmentalism, preservation, and connectedness to the native landscape amidst a changing world.

Find her at: http://elissacallen.com

IG: @slateandrust

COVID Policy for Classes:

If you are feeling sick or experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, we urge you to stay home, regardless of vaccination status. COVID-19 symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea)

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Theodore Payne Foundation - Classroom, 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Valley, United States