During this hands-on workshop, discover the magic behind the indigo plant and its use as a natural fabric dye.
Explore the fascinating qualities of the indigo plant, the process of making a vat, methods of dye extraction, vat maintenance, and more. Examine examples of historical and contemporary art works using indigo dye, including the art of Shibori dyeing—a Japanese fabric dyeing technique that traditionally uses the natural indigo dye.
Then, make an indigo vat and use Shibori techniques to prep fabric and dye samples on cotton swatches, as well as experiment on larger cotton and/or silk to create eye-catching textile art.
Location
Grove Studios 104 & 105
Instructor
Rachel Davis
Rachel Davis has been researching and making work with natural dyes for the past seven years. She teaches workshops at The Morton Arboretum and Lillstreet Art Center (Chicago) on indigo, cochineal, and the use of modifiers in natural dyes.
Rachel has been a practicing artist for over 30 years, working in painting, printmaking, and textiles. She received her M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997. Rachel's works have been exhibited in national venues including the Holter Museum of Fine Art, Montana; Evergreen Galleries, Washington; the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters; and Project Art Space, NYC.
