There is much studio excitement. Having spent the last week reading about Cyanotype toning, I have allowed myself the excitement of a botanical natural dye purchase. This has saved my husband from being irritated by rosehips drying all over the house so well worth the spend. I have long been interested in natural dyes and the lightbulb moment came when I imagined toning photographic prints. I found a fabulous natural dye source on the line, and a parcel of Kraft bags with little windows has arrived in the attic. I am besides myself.
Here, poetically, are the contents: Gallnut (from oak galls), pomegranate, rosehip, tannic acid, logwood, and weirdly two bags of madder root so I had better like pink and red! It was a midnight purchase so my fat fingers are to blame. Madder comes from India and has long been used to dye textiles and hand-blockprint. A connection I enjoy.
The dark room has been built in the attic by Simon who calmly, amazingly, kindly spent two days on the rooftop cutting bits of ply and wood to make the stud wall, and long sufferingly helped me decide on shelf heights. The brown apothecary bottles are on the scaffolding shelf. The mildew has been wiped out of the Welsh dresser. The dogs are lying by my feet (not not not in the darkroom). I am examining my purchases. The attic is chilly but amazing.