Alicia Hauff Studio

Mixed Media Fine Artist in Fargo, ND

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Foraging & Natural Ink

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The World of Wild Color

photo of bottled handmade ink with swatches in the background
“Let the ink do its thing…As much as possible, I try to get out of the way of the materials and appreciate the surprises that naturally result.”
-Jason Logan in “Make Ink”
a jar of rose petal ink is held in hand near the roses
I read recently that “the land is filled with enchantment. Magic has been woven into it over the ages, repeated over generations, but we often miss what's hiding in plain sight.”
Same earth, shifted sight.
Entering the world of foraging and ink-making has changed the way I see the world. There is no doubt a touch of magic and a communing with material with every batch of ink, a co-creation with the earth.
One plant can express multiple different colors. They show you how they blend, feather, and furl on paper and how they change with time and air. Some inks are even multicolored.
To play with these inks is to connect with the land and her magic, and experience wild color. 
These first ink sets were designed and created with everyone's inner artist in mind--as well as what's a) sustainable and b) lasts for at least a year.

Variety of garden perennial + home grown flowers from seed

After much thought and creative visioning over the past year, I am finally releasing my first sets of inks for sale. Believe me when I say this is a labor of love, connection, and attention to detail through the process of foraging, harvesting, creating, and packaging the inks to find the folks who wish to connect with the literal landscape of color. 

The Ink Sets

Rainbow set: The Brights!
Rainbow set: The Mellows
Secondaries set: The Brights
Secondaries set: The Mellows
Dip Pen Writer's set
The Curios set: The Mysterious Ones
Ingredients
So what's in these bottles? Mostly water, with the pigment from the plant/material, a dash of white vinegar (pulls the pigment from the plant structure), a dash of alum (helps with colorfastness and is kitchen grade), and 2-3 drops of gum arabic to help thicken the ink (from the acacia tree). The copper oxide ink in the rainbow brights set is a mineral/metal from copper piping that was oxidized in a jar with white vinegar and water.
Safe Storage/Handling
Though they're all made with minerals, salts, vinegar, and water (safer then many other art supplies), they're best suited for folks school-aged and up. These inks should not be ingested, and care should be taken to store the inks in a safe place away from small children in a cool, dry place. 
Permanence
Some inks are more ‘lightfast,' aka permanent, than others. This depends on the properties of the ink source, i.e. black walnut is lushly filled with natural tannins that hold its color. Many of the inks have alum (kitchen grade) to maintain the color. It's definitely color science/chemistry. Many also change color as they dry, over minutes to hours to days, so what you paint on is not how it will look when dry. They're also UV sensitive, sunlight will alter the color of most.
Remember, this is wild color that will keep you on your toes! The inks ask, “did you see what I did there?”
Paper
Oh, these inks love a good paper. I do recommend a thicker paper to accommodate painting with them. You could use heavyweight mixed media paper from any art store, or if you're serious about paper, I love the Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress pads. Experiment with different papers! 
Shake It Up
Always remember to shake each ink bottle before opening and painting/writing!
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As always, please let me know if you have any questions about these! I'm happy to answer.

A Sense of Place & Material: The Story

Like many, I come from a long line of growers who knew their landscape intimately. Some risked everything to move halfway across the world for a better life, only to arrive at square one. They cultivated the land, built with the materials they had, and created so many somethings where there was only barren land. My heart tells me they connected with the land in ways that are uncommon today in our technologically-driven society.

Growing and tending numerous houseplants and a garden have been a source of joy and grounding for many years. I love botanicals so much that my entire right arm is filled with their likeness. I am nurtured by being outdoors, greeting the natural world with fresh air to inspire me.

Then one day, I had an inkling (pun intended).

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I followed a hunch and bought the book "Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking" by Jason Logan, and my universe instantly expanded, one of those head-exploding moments in life. When something resonates strongly with every fiber of your being, you know it's for you.

Foraging began and continues to be on walks in my neighborhood or the lake region. It calls for a deepening of relationship and connection to the earth with the principles of the Honorable Harvest.

The making of ink is inherently experimental and invites curiosity to the fore. I have created inks from locally foraged materials and items in the kitchen or garage. Adjusting the pH of the ink and adding mordants also create differences in ink color. I keep notes with swatches.

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As my journey continues, deepening this area of my creative practice will entail:

  • Continuing to advocate for ethical foraging practices and honoring the land
  • Continuing to learn more about, heal, and honor my ancestors' roots and heritage
  • Expanding my knowledge of ink materials and experiments
  • Collaborating with other foragers and ink makers
  • Learning to create my own pigments and paint
  • Seeing where the land takes me...

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