Granary Arts invites you to participate in a hands-on pigment making workshop taught by artist Elpitha Tsoutsounakis.
FSGS Community Operation—Preparing Ochre Pigments
Saturday, March 23 / Drop-in anytime between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
In this workshop, participants will learn how to make paint from rocks in the landscape. Join us to learn about Ochres—what they are and where they come from—in this hands-on demonstration of mineral pigments. Using a mortar and pestle we will grind samples from various sites in Utah in order to make colorful pigments. These pigments can be combined with a variety of binders to make your favorite art medium—watercolor, oil paint, tempura and more. In the workshop we will use gum arabic to make a simple watercolor.
This workshop is free and open to the public. Bring your own favorite rock or soil sample for show-and-tell. Bring a pair of safety googles if you have them, we’ll have a few pairs to borrow. All other supplies and materials will be provided.
Field Studio Geontological Survey (FSGS) is a design research collective assembling and extending Ochre dimensions. Check out unknownprospect.org for more information on FSGS and Ochres.
About the Instructor:
Elpitha Tsoutsounakis (she/her) is a Cretan American designer, printer, and educator based in so-called Salt Lake City. She is a founding faculty and assistant professor in the Division of Multi-disciplinary Design at the University of Utah where she teaches visual strategy, research methods, and design studio. She completed a BS in architecture at the University of Utah and a Master’s in architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. Her creative practice with Ochre engages design ethics and materiality through feminist, anti-colonial, and anti-capitalist relations to more-than-human worlds. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and Southwest Contemporary and she was named a 2023 Design Arts Fellow by the Utah State Division of Arts and Museums. Her work with the Field Studio Geontological Survey (FSGS) will be in the Time Space Existence exhibition hosted by the European Cultural Centre in Venice, Italy from May through November of 2023.