Working with Natural Pigments From Scratch: Studio and Culinary Connections

Working with Natural Pigments From Scratch: Studio and Culinary Connections
Candice Smith Corby/The Bottega

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Warwick Center for the Arts : 3259 Post Rd, Warwick, RI 02886

 

In this mix of magic and science workshop, students will employ historical painting techniques by using natural materials to make pigments and inks. Working with various tools and hand-made paper and parchment, students will learn how some of the natural materials used in this ancient art process crossover into the kitchen. They will discover how studio and kitchen materials share similar transformations and reflect a similar “nose to tail” mindset. Honoring the origins of our resources, we will discover, make, and taste our experiments!

Students will leave with a quill pen, a small jar of handmade oak gall ink, small handmade notecards, and their own egg tempera painting on parchment.

Materials list:

Individual students:

• Swiss army knife or something similar
• Pencil
• Sketchbook/journal
• Watercolor and gouache set or tubes
• Watercolor brushes

My list:

• Eggs
• Pigments
• Gold leaf kit
• Parchment scraps
• Gum arabic
• Paper samples
• Watercolor paper
• Vinegar
• Food supplies – milk, lemons, squid ink, rice, olive oil, salt/pepper, etc.

Candice Smith Corby is a Massachusetts-based painter whose work reflects an interest in color and the origin of pigments and traditional materials. Her ongoing and growing series, Love Notes Across Time, takes inspiration from literature, familial and personal love stories, poetry, song lyrics, dreams, memories, and the pleasure of observing treasured objects. See her work online at www.candicesmithcorby.com.

She also leads traditional fresco painting workshops and seminars in Italy that are designed to share culinary, cultural, and art-making connections. Smith Corby is Gallery Director and Assistant Professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Stonehill College, Easton, MA.