Walnut Ink

 

 

The last of my walnut stash. Aren't they gorgeous?

Haven't made my own walnut ink in awhile.  

 

I had jars in the freezer for some time. All used  up now.

If you don't freeze it this happens.

Not to worry. It skims off in one piece with no harm to the ink. 

Another version of the process is well described here.

I have an old enamel pot that I use out doors to boil the hulls. Gets rather stinky.

Our newer camp stove will be great for this.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currently using the store bought variety. This is the real deal. 

 

There are other "walnut" inks out there that are made from peat. 

They come in the form of crystals you mix with water.

 Convenient and it is fine but I prefer the real thing.

 

Whatever variety you use you get this lovely deep somewhat translucent effect. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black

The "color" Black is actually the absence of color. It absorbs all light so nothing is reflected back for us to see. 

I heard a piece on the radio just a couple days ago about a current exhibit at the Getty. The work of French Artists, some well known others not. All black & white images. "Black can be intense and dramatic," says Timothy Potts, director of the Getty. "I mean it's dark, it's the color of the night, of the unknown, of the scary."

 Frank Skiles is an artist who uses black with great effect in my humble opinion. Check out his art quilts.

There is nothing more appealing than a simple composition of black Sumi ink & brown Walnut ink on white paper. These three images are my creations. The first is a packet of small size "cards" cut from larger pieces of mark making play.

                                                                     Accordion open

                                                                Accordion closed

This little guy has been one of my favorite black objects to have on my mantle. A designer once told me you need to have something black in an arrangement. It gives your eye a chance to rest.

Speaking of rest I'm glad Sunday is a day off so I can get my thoughts together for the next few letters in this blogging challenge.  Wish me luck.