Minerals

A two hour session for all the group members to meet and set intentions for the year going forward.

Hosted by Lucy Mayes

Amidst the rising cacophony of ecological disturbance, many of us, and particularly artists, have turned to foraged materials to satisfy our spiritual desire for connection with Nature and to hopefully redress some of the issues of needless extraction, overconsumption and subsequent pollution underlying and fuelling the apparent and ongoing poly-crisis. However, despite the many and various romantic and redemptive notions of communications with an animate earth, gathering and working with ochres is more often guided by practical knowledge and ethical and ecological considerations.

This presentation, founded on Pete’s 20-year’s-experience working with ochres and his ongoing PhD research, will outline some of the considerations revealed when gathering ochres and other natural materials, and the many and diverse insights offered through a dedicated, devotional practice. His presentation will draw upon aspects of Indigenous Knowledge and UK Law, alongside his own experience, hopefully provoking some controversy and topics for further discussion.

THE EVOLUTION OF A MINERAL PIGMENT COLLECTION

Walk through the growth of a personal, artist's mineral pigment collection: how mine and others started, grew, changed and are used. How to process, store and share pigments and the waste stream minerals and mineral derived pigments that I gravitate towards in the urban environment. Levigation process for earths to contrast with ceramic pestle grinds for s/p minerals, liquid-use mesh screens, dry use screens, grind gauge, etc.

A deep dive into mineral-derived pigments and colourants, including ochres, vivianite, malachite, azurite, green earths and other naturally occurring coloured minerals. The session would explore where these minerals occur geologically, how they are processed, and their historical and contemporary use as pigments. I will conclude the session by sharing and discussing my own collection of samples, demonstrating the unique properties and applications of each mineral and pigment.

Exploring how the minerals introduced in the first session relate to different geological environments, and how this knowledge can be applied when identifying and sourcing materials in situ. I'd also like to include the value of so-called "waste" materials from pigment processing—for example, silica-rich rocks and other less colourful minerals—which, although they may not yield strong pigments themselves, can be processed into beautiful textured grounds, fillers and paint effects. Again - Lucy will conclude the session by sharing and discussing my own collection of samples, demonstrating the unique properties and applications of each mineral and pigment.

When I talk to people about foraging for mineral pigments I tell them to look for clay. It is widely available, grinds up beautifully, and has a small particle size. The more I work with clay the more uses I find for it. The sticky quality of clay can bind pastels or serve as it’s own paint binder. We’ll discuss how the molecular structure of clay insures the longterm stability of Maya Blue pigment, which is made from specific types of clay and botanical indigo. I will also demonstrate how to make a usable paint-like material with nothing but clay and water.

Bideford Black is one of several names bestowed upon a unique coal-based clay mined as a pigment in North Devon for 200 years until 1969. This presentation will share insights revealed through Pete’s personal experience and research working with this generous but stubborn ochre over the last 20 years. It will include information about its formation and social history alongside stories from those who mined and used it, it’s active role in the natural colour revival and Pete’s own ongoing relationship with this renowned silky-black ochre from his matrilineal ancestral home.

Graphite is the first mark making material I came to love, and even now my favorite drawing tool might still be a simple pencil. Graphite is also a pigment that can be used to make silky smooth crayons or pastels. And yes, a graphite pastel is perfectly erasable! We’ll discuss the history and geology of graphite to give context to this ever-present pigment.

Calcium carbonate occurs widely in the natural world – limestone, marble, seashells, eggshells and even cuttlefish bones are composed largely of it. Chalk is the fluffiest, finely textured variety of calcium carbonate, useful in the studio as a white pigment, painting ground, and extender. It can also be found in pastel sticks and contributes to their characteristic texture. This session will discuss geology, sources, preparation, refractive index, and applications of chalk.

Of all the carbon present on our planet, the great majority is sequestered in limestone: compressed white drifts of the uncountable exoskeletons of coccoliths, husks of corals, and seashells of all sorts. This ancient white stone is useful because it can loop through a series of transformations in a complete somersault called the Limestone Cycle. It finds different applications as it transitions through the phases, from limelight and limewash, to fresco and lithography. Learn about the potentialities of limestone and how to harness them in the studio, just as artists have for thousands of years.

“Place, Material and Object: The importance of place relative to cultural practices, materials and objects in Indigenous traditions"

This presentation discusses the millennia-long importance places where materials are obtained hold in Indigenous cultures of the Americas. In the past, the places where one obtained materials such as a pigment, were as, or more important than the material itself or the object for which it was used. Indigenous people had intimate knowledge of places that encompassed generations of relationships with these places and contributed to generational knowledge alongside the empirical knowledge one gained from their own relationship with a place. Every place had its own spiritual, physical and other characteristics that contributed to the significance of a place, but which were also inherent in the materials obtained there. This in turn gave the materials those attributes and influenced not only the type of object on which they were used, but also the purpose of the object.

A two hour session for all the group members to share their reflections on the past year together and set intentions for the future.

Hosted by Lucy Mayes