The Alchemy of
Natural Color

At the heart of Liaise Studio is a deep conversation with the Alaskan landscape. Long before paint meets canvas, my creative process begins outdoors. By foraging raw earth, stone, and botanicals, I hand-craft natural watercolor pigments that ground my studio practice in the textures, history, and rhythms of the land. This step-by-step look explores how raw elements from nature are transformed into tactile, hand-processed paint.

Every pigment begins with exploration. Guided by seasonal rhythms and respect for the environment, I collect small, intentional amounts of plants, fungi, and earth from the surrounding landscape.

Forage & Gather

The gathered botanicals are chopped and simmered low and slow in water. Heat breaks down the plant cells, releasing their rich, organic dye into a vibrant liquid bath.

Extract & Simmer

To turn liquid dye into solid paint, I use an ancient process called lake making. Adding natural mineral salts binds the organic dye to a mineral base, causing the pure color to precipitate out of the liquid and settle into a fine, concentrated powder.

Precipitate (Lake Making)

Once dried, the botanical pigment powder is combined with a natural binder—gum arabic, glycerin, and water—and mulled by hand on a glass slab. This slow, deliberate alchemy creates smooth, liquid watercolor paint ready for the canvas.

Mull & Bind

FAQ

  • No. Botanical pigments carry an inherently ephemeral quality. Unlike modern synthetic paints designed for permanent uniformity, natural plant dyes interact dynamically with light and time. While earth and mineral pigments are largely stable, botanical watercolors are often light-sensitive and may gently evolve, soften, or shift over the years—mirroring the natural lifecycle of the flora they came from. We consider this living quality a quiet meditation on impermanence, honoring the landscape in flux. To preserve their vibrancy as long as possible, we recommend displaying all original works out of direct sunlight and behind UV-protective glass.

  • No. While foraging and processing natural pigments is a foundational practice that grounds our studio's connection to the land, we also create work using traditional, archival-grade fine art mediums. Every original painting clearly details the exact materials used so you know precisely how to care for your piece.

  • To ensure the longevity of your artwork:

    • Placement: Hang your artwork away from direct sunlight, bright windows, or high humidity.

    • Framing: Frame with archival, acid-free mats and UV-filtering glass or acrylic.

    • Acceptance: Embrace the subtle, natural shift of organic materials over time as part of the artwork's living story.

  • Because foraging is done intentionally and in small, seasonal batches to respect the environment, our pigment supply is limited. We occasionally release small-batch, seasonal watercolor sets in The Storefron. Join our monthly newsletter to receive early notifications when new batches are mulled and released!