This fall at the Grand Marais Art Colony - Four Days
Wed, September 30 - Sat, October 3 2026
from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at Founders Hall.
Gain the tools to make a color palette from naturally-sourced pigments and make a series of artwork with wax resists on paper by creating several different natural dye baths. Students will learn about the fascinating history of natural pigments and how they relate to many cultures worldwide, ways to ethically source and procure pigments from both local and international sources, how to make an indigo vat with a focus on chemistry, and about mordants and lightfastness. Emily will guide students to create a series of landscape inspired work through multiple layers and colors.
Beginning in February, I am offering 3 different workshop options at my studio in Minneapolis:
Natural Pigment and Dye on Paper - Beginning
2-Day Workshop Saturday, February 14th and Sunday, February 15th - 10am to 4pm
This course will cover the basics of creating color from natural materials, using wax resists and hand-dyeing paper. Students will learn how to create three different dye baths -blue (indigo), yellow (goldenrod) and red (lac) and to create a natural color palette. We will explore ways to create artwork with multiple levels of color by using a beeswax resist and over dyeing. This class is for any skill level. -$295- both days -
2-Day Workshop Saturday, February 21th and Sunday, February 22nd - 10am to 4pm
Incorporate skills that you already have or learned with batik, natural pigments or other fiber arts. We will work with the three basic dye vats or natural color - blue, red and yellow along with sap green (buckthorn berry), black walnut + oak galls for tannins/greening and logwood for rich purples. With guidance, students will expand on their palettes of color, local material sources and build on previous skills gained. $295-both days -
Friday, March 6th and Saturday March 7th 2026 - 10am to 4pm
Studio Lab/Open Project Days are for students who would like to try something again, master a certain color, try a new color, fine tune an artwork, experiment or expand on new ideas. Dye vats, studio set up and objectives/goals are designed per student. Any skill level is welcome! This is also an opportunity to try out parts of the beginning or level II class if you would like. Students can sign up for one or two days. $150 per day -
