Natural Dye Made with Spruce Ink

In November, students connected with nature while exploring ways to create ink and dye at home using plant matter. Students learned about tannins and their importance in supporting plant and human health. They also continued to study basic elements of art, focusing on textures and patterns and finding inspiration in the physical elements of Sitka spruce trees. Guest artist Iris Sullivan Daire used chemistry as an avenue for art exploration, demonstrating ways in which leaves, seeds, tree bark and even roots can enrich an art practice while creating sustainable place-based and regionally sourced art mediums and materials. Students worked from Sitka spruce tree photos and live samples to create pencil drawings depicting Sitka spruce trees and their surrounding environments. Sitka spruce tannin ink was applied over the drawings, adding a rich, velvety coffee-colored wash to their compositions. These drawings will be showcased at the annual Your Art's Desire fundraiser on February 18 at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds.