botanical inks and tannin dyes
paper + thread series
HELEN COLEMAN
Four-day immersive workshop exploring botanical inks and tannin dyes, from plant collection to pigment extraction, mark-making and sustainable colour practice.
materials list
here are all the materials and tools you’ll need to successfully start this masterclass
date Friday 5 June to Monday 8 June 2026
duration 4 day
venue location in York tba 1 week prior to class start
From field to studio: discovering colour through plants, earth and experimentation.
This immersive four-day masterclass explores the rich creative possibilities of botanical inks and tannin dyes, guiding participants from field collection through to studio experimentation.
Beginning with a guided field visit, participants will discover the cultural and material significance of local plant and earth pigment sources. Collected materials become the foundation for a series of studio investigations into natural colour extraction, tannin dyeing, and pigment preparation.
Over the course of the workshop, participants will explore techniques for extracting and modifying plant-based pigments, preparing tannin dyebaths, and testing colour on cloth. Through a series of structured studio experiments, participants will develop a personal palette while learning methods for assessing colourfastness, washfastness and light stability.
The masterclass also introduces the chemistry and creative potential of botanical inks. Participants will explore the development of thickened inks, black inks, and alcohol-based pigment solutions, experimenting with mark-making, layering and surface design.
The final sessions investigate the transformation of botanical inks into lake pigments, along with the creation of thickened mordants and discharge pastes for printmaking and textile surface design. Participants are encouraged to experiment with texture, layering and archival approaches to integrate botanical colour into their own creative practice.
By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a collection of botanical inks and tannin dyes, practical knowledge of extraction and mordanting processes, and new approaches for working with sustainable, locally sourced pigments.
Helen Coleman — Textile Artist & Workshop Leader
Website helencolemanart.com.au
Insta helencolemanart
Helen Coleman is a contemporary colourwoman whose practice explores the intersection of art, science and place. With a background in botany and chemistry, her work investigates the eco-dye and pigment potential of locally sourced plants.
Through research and experimentation, Helen develops natural pigments, botanical inks and dye processes derived from native species including eucalyptus, acacia, haemodorum and drosera. Her practice draws inspiration from historical pigment traditions as well as the cultural and ecological knowledge embedded in the landscape.
Working between field research and studio practice, Helen collaborates with artists and makers to expand the creative possibilities of locally sourced pigments. Her work celebrates the material intelligence of plants and invites artists to engage more deeply with the natural colour resources of their environment.
date Friday 5 June to Monday 8 June 2026
duration 4 day
venue location in York tba 1 week prior to class start
create and stay: participants will travel from across Australia, with many choosing to turn their time in York into a short creative getaway. The Wheatbelt offers a range of comfortable stays, from boutique guesthouses to self-contained cottages, all close to workshop venues.
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