Join us for a day of art making, poetry and lunch at beautiful Black Rock Ranch overlooking Stinson Beach. We’ll tour the grounds and gather plants for dyes and ink, for use on paper and fibers. Judi will demonstrate the process of making a water-based ink and simple methods for dyeing paper and fibers.

Artist’s books can take many forms, from a fold-out accordion style to a fabric-paged book with embroidered motifs or words. Haiku poetry works well for our journey into the landscape, into the heart of an idea or emotion expressed essentially in the 5-7-5 syllable format.

Bring something to share for the potluck lunch at 1 pm, followed by an afternoon of reflection and practice with book forms, imagery and words with local color.

Wear comfortable shoes and bring a hat, sunglasses, a notebook, pen or pencil, plus brushes, paper, embroidery thread, and sewing needles to use for the day.

Bring the art supplies you would like to use in your experiments with a book format. If you have special paper or fabric to try out, feel free to bring it with your supplies as well as some small jars to bring home some ink. Judi will have some papers, brushes, glue sticks, etc. to share. She will also have some larger needles for sewing a binding onto paper and fabric books.

Enroll here: https://www.blackrockranch.com/product/site-specific-local-color-and-the-artists-book-with-judi-pettite/

Judi Pettite is an artist, researcher and educator currently living in Southern California. In the field, studio or on the road, she is interested in what motivates people to work with natural pigments, how they forage or cultivate these materials and how this creativity is expressed. Her artwork is intertwined with the exploration of natural mediums and is inspired by many art forms, including painting, drawing, performance and installation.

Judi started the BioHue project in 2006 to create plant-based pigments for use in her art practice. The project moved her beyond the studio and into the outdoors she loves. Through her workshops and products, Judi hopes to support and develop an interest in sustainable colors for artists.