Tips for Creative Play from one of our favorites: Ithel Colquhoun

Photo from Drawingroom.org lecture "Magician Born of Nature: the Life and Work of Ithell Colquhoun"

A few months ago our team learned about a prolific British Surrealist painter and mystic named Ithel Colquhoun. Back in 2019 the Tate acquired 5,000 copies of original work by the artist. You read that right- 5,000 original pieces of work.

Colquhoun conducted thousands of experiments in the tradition of psycho-morphology. She let her intuition guide her process and was not restricted by concepts of making art “the right way.” I found a fun article on wordpress detailing 10 Techniques of Psycho Morphology from Ithel Colquhoun’s own piece “Children of the Mantic Stain.”

I appreciate learning about these techniques as I the dye practices of myself & my creative community reflected in the essence of our work. Dyeing takes trust to see the process through - there are known factors we can control (what dye we will use/what paint we will use, what quantity of materials, etc) but ultimately the outcome is a reflection of process, which includes our own subconscious input.

Above - behind the scenes of Winona' fine art practice, painting with hibiscus leaves. Follow along @winonaquigley on instagram.

Working with plant dye, or any medium, is a beautiful way to catalog our lives. So often when I create a piece of work I can remember exactly what I was experiencing in life when I made it: I can remember if I was in a mood, having the time of my life, sick but going for it, if I was in mourning. The memories are a part of the work as much as the produced image.

Above - behind the scenes of Bixa's fine art practice. Follow along @thoughtforms.art on instagram.

So here’s to maintaining a creative practice, through all life’s seasons.

With love,

B.