The earth pigment process is full of discovery and the act is quite transformative. It influences the way you perceive the world and moves throughout your creative practice. This topic is so dear to me, and while writing is a big part of my creative process, I also enjoy sharing creative conversations. Today, I am bringing you something that is a bit more personal—a true and honest dialogue. In the above audio recording, I give three ways earth pigments inspire a deeper connection with our outer landscapes, our inner landscapes, and our creative practice. Below are written notes from the recording for you to reflect upon, and explore deeper.

A Geology of Color is an earth pigment book that contains 5 full, and reflective sections that will help guide you to identify, collect, and process rocks, dirt, and soil into artist-grade mediums.

For the last two years, I have immersed myself in documenting my processes and writing about my affinity for earth pigments. Today, I am sharing an exclusive preview for A Geology of Color, an earth pigment book that will be available for presale on October 18.

Once you have collected natural earth pigments, ochre will remind you when it’s ready to be processed into a pigment powder. Often, I don’t process rocks the moment they enter my studio—I tend to store them until their color moves me in some way.

Natural earth pigments range in color—from warm yellows, burnt reds, browns, earth greens, and even blue. These naturally occurring phenomena get their colors from minerals, and in the studio, they transform into the most beautiful artistic colors that reveal the hidden beauty of iron.

This year I am celebrating a new partnership with Natural Earth Paint. In this partnership, several exciting things are unfolding, including a series of writing. I wanted to slowly introduce myself to this new audience with an intimate piece about the meaning of working with natural earth paints in my studio.

Recently, I was asked to share my thoughts on pigments in my work in the format of eight beautiful questions. Sharing an exchange of thoughts with Ginni Seehagel of Seadar Shop, an artist, writer, and walker who seeks and finds joy in the world as it is, was a gift of light and appreciation for the Earth.

Natural Earth Pigments are lush, they hold color in a unique way, not like any other. They are textural and reflect fragments of light, revealing the true beauty of iron. They are deep, full of secret beauty. They hide in earth crevices emitting energy waiting for discovery.

As you begin to collect natural earth pigments, you may find it helpful to do a couple of local tests on the rocks you have collected. These tests can help identify the materials you are collecting, as well as build an understanding and a language for the characteristics of natural earth pigments.

Locating deposits of color is the first step in finding and collecting natural earth pigments. Once you find an area that lacks Earth coverage, you’ll start to see an array of colors emerge in the form of rocks and soils.

For a long time now (at least 10 years) I’ve held on to a collection of vintage watercolor paper. It’s moved with me to every state I’ve lived in, finding its home in one of my many boxes.

As you begin collecting natural earth pigments, it’s important to remember to protect the landscape. I have formed a relationship with the earth that I cannot really put into words. It didn’t grow overnight but over a long time of interest and curiosity. Collecting earth pigments sustainably and ethically requires mindful actions. Through your process, I encourage you to build a long-term dialogue with different spaces. This builds trust and intimacy within multi-species communities.

Finding and collecting natural Earth pigments is a gift. It hones your senses to the environment around you, connecting you to the landscape in ways you haven’t felt before. Finding natural earth pigments is about being aware. To a degree, there is a science to it, but having an innate sense of curiosity will springboard your search for natural earth pigments. 

Throughout the month of June things have progressed very slowly in my studio. Most of the month I have placed my energy and focus on gathering my supplies into boxes so I can continue my creative journey in a new city. The time I’ve spent processing through each material, supply, and pigment has gathered an array of thoughts on my slow studio practice .

As I reflect on this collection, I am filled with both excitement and accomplishment. Each piece is a true reflection of the ideas floating around in my mind and studio as I work through beautiful pigment explorations. The simple forms and deep colors hold the real, tactile experience of foraged pigments and handmade paints. They bring a moment of pause into the world as they carefully document the time + space of the world we live in. Below is a preview of a few of my favorites from the collection.