Week Twenty-Eight: Mugwort Lake Pigment

This week I made my first lake pigment using mugwort that I collected last Autumn from Erewash Canal. Learning a new process can feel overwhelming at first but I’ve found that now I have made a lake pigment once, I am eager to try it again! I am searching for UK native plants that are popping up in my local neighbourhood and questioning how they may turn out as a lake pigment.

Mugwort

Mugwort is often called the ‘Mother of Herbs’ and has strong associations with the moon, the element of fire, and feminine wisdom. Dried mugwort has been used to cleanse spaces, clear negative energy and protect from the ‘evil eye’. Mugwort should be avoided during pregnancy as it can induce a miscarriage or premature labour. Mugwort has been used to regulate cycles, relieve PMS and painful periods. I am interested in the links that this herb has to women’s reproductive health and am fascinated by the idea that once upon a time these remedies would have been prescribed by a herbalist. I wonder what other plants have been used through history to support women’s health?

Lake Pigment

I like the idea of lake pigments being presented in bottles as artworks within their own right. I’m also interested in the applications of lake pigments to create paints, printing inks and pastels. I have been researching to see if lake pigments can be added to clay to create coloured slips or body stains. This is something that I would like to test and explore further. I’m questioning how the plant used to create the lake pigment can also reflect the subject of the artwork, based on its historical uses and symbolisms. How can lake pigments be used to tell stories?

Lake Pigment

To me, lake pigments feel like the bridge between heritage and present day. I’m questioning how this endangered craft can bring together conversations around heritage, ecology, and social history. I’m interested in the revival of old techniques bringing innovation to art, design and craft. I wonder how far back I’d have to look to find lake pigment recipes of UK native plants?