I began my pigment journey in the fall of 2018 by learning to make ink. You can make ink from many things, I started with natural dye from plant material. It's not difficult - ink made this way is basically a concentrated dye solution that you add a few drops of gum arabic to (which helps it stick it to the paper), plus a drop of clove oil to keep it from molding. Check out the book "Make Ink" by Jason Logan, if you want to learn more. I quickly discovered that I needed a lot of little jars to hold the ink I was making. I really like the little glass jars below, they are small and have a watertight seal to keep the ink from evaporating.
As I moved on to handmade watercolors, I found I could save some of my finest (smallest particle) mineral pigments in jars and use them like ink. You just have to shake the bottle first.
I also stored ink in vintage bottles.
(Though I think the ribs on the far left bottle mean it held something toxic,
so I will most likely leave that one empty.)
(Though I think the ribs on the far left bottle mean it held something toxic,
so I will most likely leave that one empty.)
Then the maker in me wanted to go a little further,
so I joined the local ceramics studio and started throwing inkwells.
so I joined the local ceramics studio and started throwing inkwells.
Once they were fired, they needed lids. I threw some on the wheel,
and cut corks to use as stoppers.
and cut corks to use as stoppers.
On others, I added the things I've been collecting for years.
Often the lids took longer to make than the inkwells.
But I enjoyed every minute of it.
But I enjoyed every minute of it.
"Inkwells" Ceramic, vintage buttons and beads
View from the top. Vintage buttons, beads, semiprecious stones.
Ceramic inkwell lids.
The tiniest one makes me very happy.