This project will focus on the history, uses, and processes of discovering color. Through frequent outings, foraging, and the creative use of natural and synthetic materials, we will unearth, discover, and create the ingredients of color. We will investigate the history of color and its many applications in art. Students will be able to experiment in various mediums and with a huge array of color- making materials, which they will use in their own art-making process. The group will also have the chance to travel off campus to view the work of practicing artists in gallery and museum settings.
Day 1
On Monday, we first went around the campus and collected potential wooden materials that can turn into charcoal. We sized these materials and put them into cans so they wouldn’t burn into small pieces. After making charcoal, we went around to local New Hampshire areas to collect metals and mud that can turn into unique colors. We also started making our sketchbooks; we learned how to use needles to connect pages together and how to use the ceramic studio Cricut machine to create our stickers. -Anthiny '25
Prepping wood for our charcoal tins.
Stoking the fire to get up to heat.
Our tins are in the fire!
Wood + 2 hours of heat = Charcoal
Tins are cooling down.
Asa tests out our different types of charcoal.
Charcoal testing continued.
Making sketch books to document our color tests.
Collecting scrap metal for color tests.
Some finished charcoal pieces.
Day Two
Today, the group worked with making natural dyes and pigments. We started the morning by preparing an indigo dye for the afternoon, working with our new notebooks by creating personal color palettes, and watching The Color of Ink documentary which highlighted several ways people are currently creating art with different natural inks and paints. During the afternoon session, we worked on making our own dyes with things such as onion skins, black walnuts, and staghorn sumac, as well as dying shirts with the previously made indigo dye. We finished the day by working with our notebooks once again and testing the new dyes on various fabrics and materials.
Day Three
Today our group woke up at 7am to get on a bus that was heading to South Station. We arrived there at 9:30, and successfully got on a bus and we drove another 5 hours to New York City, which was a struggle. But when I arrived in the city I was so hyped because of so many things that I’d never experienced. We first went to the Natural History Museum of New York City to see things. We saw fossils, we went to the butterfly room where a few hundred butterflies were flying around. Also, we went to the gem room where we learned a lot about different types of gems and how they are formed. There were so many cool colors! For the last part of the Museum, we went to the animal room which described very specifically the ancient creatures and ancestors of animals nowadays. After the museum, we went to a Chinese dim sum restaurant to have dinner and we finished our first day in New York. I’m very excited for tomorrow!
Anthiny catching some zzz's on the bus ride to New York City!
Just arrived at the Natural History Museum!
Learning about the life of butterflies at the vivarium!
Ricky and Anthiny tame the wild butterflies!
The amazing colors of Fluorite!
Ricky and Anthiny exploring the gems and mineral room.
The incredible colors of our planet!
What causes color? Read up to find out...
Gemstones and butterflies.
The awesome African Mammal Hall!
Learning about rocks and fossils.
Out and about for a (rainy) walk through the city!
Ending the night with some delicious dim sum!