tropical dyeing
2020
In February of 2020 I had the oportunity to participate in an artist residency in Costa Rica in the Puntarenas Province on the western shore. It was an incredibly biodiverse and flourishing tropical area. For the month I used the local plant material to experiment with natural dyeing.
All the dye materials I sourced for the in the surrounding area, above is the annatto seed pods and turmeric roots both which were from a neighbours garden. Below are "prayer hands" banana which grew in our backyard, and the stem of the banana tree I used as a fixative. The red flowers are hibiscus flowers or rosa jamaica, which makes a pink dye and a sour drink.
The oportunity of a residency in a foreign place is an experience to discover that place through ones art practice, and learn what a place has to teach. The abundance of tropical flora was what I focused on, as well as the traditional practices from the surrounding areas.
After processing materials I experimented with different folding techniques (Shibori) and dyeing techniques, to create more dynamic contrast in the different fabrics.
The dyed cotton fabric I pieced together into a quilt, which you can see here!
The cotton threads that I got in Guatemala and dyed are in the process of being woven on a back strap loom I bought in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala where I learned that ancient traditional weaving style.