A few months ago I would have never believed that I would see the dirt again, that I would see life emerging through the soil and that anything had survived the long winter, buried in snow taller than me. But spring is here, the snow has melted and the plants our emerging, ready for living!! Now it is time to plant again, to think about what is needed, to re-shape and re-build a new canvas ready for creation.

The winter of hibernation gave time to play and explore with plants that were readily available such as teas, coffee and spices. After many years of talking about painting with plants I put that into action through much experimentation, lots of play and making messes.

In March I had the opportunity to create work that embodied this play and share it for MOCAF 2023 group show and stand alongside my peers, friends and community in the arts.

A new spark ignited a new path, new body of work and a forever passion that brings all my loves into one active practice.

natural, hand made inks by Jill Sans — Abundance, 2023

PLay through color

There is so much color in nature, sometimes color that is often overlooked as we get so use to how we see color through other’s eyes like a screen, paper, etc. There is a real practice in paying attention to the colors all around us that just exist, natural processes and exchanges between the sun, chemical reactions. All the chemistry involved to bring color into sight. It really is amazing and blows my mind.

Many years ago I started having the desire and need to see what would happen if i planted seeds specifically for dyeing. To grow my very own color in the garden, creating a relationship with my plants and turning their magic into art. As well as planting seeds of medicine, now the plants had a brand new purpose.

There also so many plant already that just pop up when there is the right circumstances; earth + water + sun = dandelions. These plants have som many uses, they are plants of power but often called weeds and believed to be of nuisance. Memories of dandelion stained clothes and my first experience in life using color from nature, this inspired this springtime collection from a evening stroll to my car one night, next to the side walk was a golden blanket ready to be picked. Some urban foraging and I was ready to dive into dandelion pigment. (note to foraging, please leave more than you take, these plants still offer food and benefit many little living beings arounds us)

Making my first lake pigment, which is similar to making a dye bath that would be used in fiber arts but then adding a couple additional ingredients that create a fizzy reaction, separating out the pigment as sediment and leaving the colored water behind. After washing this solution many times, filtering and drying you are then left with plant pigment powder that can be turned into watercolor or oil paints. Amazing!!!!!!!

Playing with my food

Everyday is a constant question of color, where does it come from and do i have what i need to make it. Going through my freezer and used some leftover, freezer burned blueberries to see what would happen. An incredible color indeed and I found different ways to manipulate that color, such a wonderful surprise.

Inks made from Blueberries using different mordants

Then to take this ink and see how to use it, I also was working towards a goal for an upcoming show submission on color. This gave me the invitation to see how much I could push natural color, there sometimes is a misconception that natural color is subdued but this was not the case with the blueberry ink. I combined some other inks I had already made such as turmeric and once finished worked in the mineral pigment of gold mica for extra effect and Eclipse was born.

playing with blueberry ink and turmeric, April 2023

Eclipse, 14” x 11” natural inks on canvas

Dreams weaved together

Life feels aligned, bringing more plants into my work, connecting with them and understanding them in new ways feels like a coming home. My love of herbalism and art, merging into a new language creating art that is healing and more connected. Planting more seeds of color and looking at the garden in new ways.

I hope you get to enjoy more color in your life, let the natural world delight and surprise you.

Jill Sans is an artist based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Her work is that of beautification from paintings to cosmetic tattooing. She currently works out of The HeArt Box Studio and Gallery in historic downtown, Flagstaff.