Pigments
Pastel
Blue dye in Europe before indigo
Before indigo reached Europe from the Far East, pastel—derived from the plant Isatis tinctoria—was its only true blue. I painted the plant using a watercolor handmade from the same historical dye, just outside the Musée du Pastel.
- Terre de Pastel - Museum du Pastel, Labège, France
- 43°33'13.5"N 1°30'30.7"E
- Monday, 19 August 2024
Pigment recipe
Plant-based pigment (Isatis tinctoria)
Terre de Pastel - Museum du Pastel handmade watercolor tube. Traditional extraction
Traditional shutters
Precious and highly sought after, Pastel became a symbol of wealth, coloring shutters and façades, and was also believed to repel insects. I painted the traditional blue shutters of southern France, in the Pays de Cocagne, using this authentic, plant-based historical blue.
- Côte de la Cité, Carcassonne, France
- 43°12'25.4"N 2°21'42.7"E
- Saturday, 24 August 2024
Pigment recipe
Plant-based pigment (Isatis tinctoria)
Terre de Pastel - Museum du Pastel handmade watercolor tube. Traditional extraction