Why do natural pigments matter to contemporary artists and collectors?

In an age where so much of our lives take place in the digital realm, our relationship to physical materials—what we touch, make, and surround ourselves with—has never mattered more. Just as people want to know who made their clothing or where their food is grown, many artists are seeking deeper connections to the materials they use.

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At Growing In Process, I believe that color can be more than just beautiful—it can be meaningful. Synthetic pigments dominate the art world because they’re fast, cheap, and consistent. But something gets lost when the act of making color is separated from the act of making art.

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My practice bridges those worlds. I work with both hand-gathered natural pigments and high-quality modern paints, creating a palette that honors place, process, and tradition while still offering the intensity today’s artists and collectors expect. Some pigments take seasons—or even years—to come to life; I’m still two years out from harvesting the madder root I planted last spring!

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When possible, I make sets of these handmade art materials available—so you can experience the richness, imperfection, and presence of color that is made in direct connection with the land around us.

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Curious about how these colors are made? You’ll find more on my process, pigment experiments, and tutorials in the blog section of this website.