Ritual Making 1

Ritual Making 1

It seems that I have been busy lately and have failed to update my blog. Yes, busy moving again! Both my studio and my living space have had the shake down. So now I am finally feeling settled and after a brief pause I am ready to jump in with renewed intentions.

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this properly or only thought about it and wrote for my own records but I have put a lot of thought into the concept of ritual making as a way to share and connect with others. This idea has been part of my work from the moment I began to understand how to be an artist. That not is to say that other practices aren’t perfectly suited to being an artist as well but for me it was how I connected and began to find my way.

Ritual making is why my work has a story and a purpose. Getting closer to this ideal is what I have been noticing in every synchronicity of my life. This is my purpose and I am sure of it.

A perfect example was a few weeks ago when I had an Indigo and Tannin workshop on the full moon weekend. This subject of magic was a way to connect to the gravity of the moons pull and the abundance of the harvest. This harvest was tannin based plants that were reaped with the communities garden collected throughout the year.

Portions were distributed for the indigo concentrates that would be the seeds of new vats to come. Together we mix the indigo, sugar, and calcium hydroxide. There were two mother vats that had been awakened so we could proceed to sample color shades. One vat was sugar and the other ferrous sulfate or iron used to reduce the oxygen. The tannins were concentrate of Myrobalan, Sumac leaves, Oak gall, and Walnut. The last three were locally collected.

The collection of the plants itself is a ritual and labor of love…. you see I have this compulsion to find uses for plants. By collecting and finding these uses I feel I am honoring the plant / tree that has given forth fruits. This is why I am aligned with my purpose. Everything I really care about comes from nature. It comes from the earth. It seems like the biggest deal ever and I wonder why everyone is not focused on this? Yes, many people do……. And I am grateful! This is why the exchange of knowledge and sacred pathways is the ritual making.

So here we are having a magical exchange on the full moon with indigo, tannins and silks. As we align ourselves spaces open and the indigo vat breathes color. As I mix the baths there is no formula. For this workshop these colors exist for us as we participate in the now. But do take note of the results as they can be made again if you bravely create your own baths. All the possibilities are before us if we are willing to move forward.

To continue this flow I need your participation. Your attention to details and willingness to connect is what sustains my practice. Next up is Harvesting Colors on June 22, 23. Please join me in this intimate studio study of harvest, dye, and making. There is no coincidence that it falls on the summer solstice weekend. Space is limited to 6 people.

 

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