Colorhue Workshop

Saturday's workshop was held at the Corvallis Arts Center. Our CFA meeting room was used for the "dry" area and the small art classroom was our wet room. Everyone did an amazing job of bringing the equipment we needed and setting everything up efficiently so we could begin at 9 am. In the wet room, our instructor, Barbara Pickett, demonstrates correct measuring procedures for our first project in the photo below.



There were 10 participants, and, coincidentally, 10 colors in the Colorhue palette. For our first group project, each of us was assigned a color.

We were each given a set of swatches to dye our assigned color. We stirred our swatches in our assigned Colorhue color for 5 minutes.

After rinsing, blotting and ironing, we set the dyed swatches out. Each participant received one swatch of each of the 10 colors and stapled them onto a page for our notebooks. Voila, instant color set for future reference. Below is the group of dyed swatches.


Next we were given a swatch set of 6 different silk weave structures to dye. We each created our own dye mixture, dyed our swatches, and stapled them onto a page for our notebooks. Below are some of the silk swatch sets after dyeing.

Another individual project was next on the schedule. We were each given 18 swatches of silk organza to custom dye. The goal was to dye 6 swatches one custom dyed color, 6 swatches another custom dyed color, and 6 swatches a third custom dyed color. Once dyed, rinsed, blotted, and ironed, the swatches were layered in create 6 combinations of optically-mixed color blends. The results were astounding to compare the varying optical effects depending on the layering of colors. We talked about using triadic color schemes and split complementary colors schemes as possible combinations. Below is one participant's swatch set.


Our next group project was to create a tri-axial color scale using 3 Colorhue colors - canary, rose and turquoise. There are 21 colors in this color scale. Barbara's son, Michael, dyed one color, leaving each of the 10 of us to dye two colors in the scale. We were each given 15 silk swatches to dye for each of two assigned colors. Below are the 21 cups that hold the dye baths to create the 21 hues of the color scale.

Below is a close up of the triangular layout of the dye bath cups to create the color scale .

After dyeing, rinsing, blotting and ironing, we returned the dyed swatches to their labeled baggies so that we could place them in order on the table, below. Each of us removed one swatch from each of the 21 baggies, to create our own tri-axial color scale for our notebooks. Imagine how long it would take us to do all the mixing and dyeing ourselves to create the 21 colors. This is where a group dye day is a really valuable time saver.

Mariana works on composing her tri-axial color scale below.

Below, Monine works on composing her tri-axial color scheme for her notebook. In the foreground is Monine's recently dyed Colorhue color set.

Time for a lunch break, and .... SHOPPING! Barbara and Michael brought some of their Mihara Shibori scarves for a trunk show and sale.



What a delicious way to spend our lunch break!




Below, Cheryl ponders which scarf (scarves) to buy...


After lunch, we did an individual dye project - each of us dyed a silk habotai scarf using the "scrunch and dip" method. Michael demonstrated dyeing a scarf for us. These dyes are fantastic, in that you can dip the scrunched scarf in one dye bath, squeeze excess dye out, and immediately move to another dye bath without contaminating that dye bath or affecting the wet, freshly dyed color on the silk. Below is Michale's finished scarf just out of the last dye bath. Numerous different colored dye baths are used to create the iridescent marbled effect.

Ironing the finished scarves brings out the colors. Monine is ironing her scarf below.


Liz works on hers below.
Barbara demonstrated surface design applications using Colorhue dyes next. We tried screening, stenciling and stamping using shaving cream as the carrier for the Colorhue dyes. Several drops of dye were added to shaving cream in a very small cup, shown below.

The mixture is stirred well to evenly distribute the color.


We did some silk screening using Barbara's thermofax screens.

Next we cut stencils from freezer paper and used a foam brush to apply the thickened dye. Below Barbara demonstrates with a freezer paper stencil.


The freezer paper is removed, revealing the finished stencil.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent playing with the Colorhue dyes in whatever way we chose. Clean up was fast and efficient, both because we have a GREAT GROUP and because these dyes can be washed down the sink for disposal. the Arts Center classrooms worked well for this workshop. Barbara enjoyed our group, and would be happy to return with Michael for a shibori dye workshop in the future. Let Nancy know if you are interested!