Natural Dye Garden Archives

Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Grow Your Own Natural Colors: 6 Easy Dye Plants for Beginners

24th January 2025

The new year often brings with it a sense of possibility—a time to explore new ideas and creative pursuits. For me, 2025 began with my first webinar on growing your own colors, an experience that reminded me of the magic in working with nature. Starting a dye garden is an invitation to step into a world of creativity, connection, and discovery. It’s about more than just growing plants—it’s about nurturing the soil, supporting pollinators, and finding joy in the rhythm…

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Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Beyond the Blue: Exploring the Hidden Colors of Japanese Indigo

18th December 2024

Uncover the hidden hues of Japanese Indigo—a blend of science, art, and patience! When we think of Japanese Indigo (Persicaria tinctoria), the first color that comes to mind is its mesmerizing, iconic blue—a hue that has captivated mankind for centuries. However, through research and experimentation, particularly in my attempts to achieve red hues due to the presence of indirubin, I discovered a surprising range of colors, including soft yellows, subtle greys, and purplish tones. In this article, I will share…

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Handmade Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Easy Natural Dye Plants to Grow on Your Balcony

23rd May 2023

For years, my balcony has served as a sanctuary for my gardening adventures. I’ve nurtured an array of plants, from blooming flowers to aromatic herbs, vegetables and salads, creating a miniature oasis amidst the urban landscape. But it wasn’t until last year that my gardening journey took an exciting turn. I was granted a small piece of land, a patch of earth to call my own. With this newfound space, I couldn’t resist the urge to experiment with something new…

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Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Discover the Vibrant World of Natural Dyes: Journey of Color Exploration!

9th May 2023

After three long years, I finally had the opportunity to embark on a journey back to my motherland, Bombay, over the easter break this year. This trip held immense significance for me, not only for reconnecting with my roots but also for the chance to explore the fascinating flora that Bombay had to offer. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as I was also running a course on how to grow an organic natural dye garden, “From Petals to…

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Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

How to grow a natural dye garden?

15th February 2023

Are you an artist who dreams of creating your own natural pigments and paints? What if you could cultivate a garden filled with vibrant hues, ready to be used in your artwork, while also embracing a sustainable and fulfilling experience? I’m delighted to announce my latest course, “From Petals to Palette,” which is tailor-made for artists. Being an artist myself, I’ve long been captivated by the charm of natural pigments and the eco-friendly practice of gathering them. However, I eventually…

Handmade Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

A Beginner’s Guide to Eco-Printing!

25th January 2023

One of the most exciting aspects of eco-printing is its inherent unpredictability. A plant’s color in nature may not always match the hue it imparts on your fabric. This element of surprise, driven by nature’s quirks, is a big part of what makes Eco-printing so enjoyable and unique. In 2019, while on a week-long camping trip along the coast of Algarve in Portugal, I stumbled upon the art of Eco-printing. Although I wrote an article about my experience at the…

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Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

What’s happening in my Dye Garden?-Part VII

10th November 2022

This is the final post in my natural dye garden series, as the gardening season has come to an end with the arrival of autumn. My natural dye garden served as both a teaching space and a very tranquil and reinvigorating environment for me. It is time to reflect on the previous season’s accomplishments, put the garden to bed, and prepare it for the next season. I learned several things while tending to my first natural dye garden, including how…

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Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

What’s happening in my Dye Garden?!-VI

7th August 2022

Before departing on a three-week summer vacation, I visited my natural dye garden to tend to my plants, gather the blooms, and take care of the damage caused by the severe thundershowers two days before. When I arrived, the garden was in full bloom, and the pollinators were busily performing their jobs, but the thunderstorms had seriously damaged quite a few coreopsis plants. I began by collecting the bright and zingy orange cosmos flowers, then plucked the coreopsis blooms from…

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Hello,
I’m Jyotsna, a scientist and a watercolor artist dedicated to sustainability, currently living in the charming city of Graz, Austria. I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to Lost in Colours, where my creative pursuits are deeply rooted in an ongoing exploration to learn, gain understanding, and form a bond with the natural world that surrounds us.

If you’re looking for a way to infuse your artistic pursuits with inspiration and joy, you’ve come to the right place. Get lost in the world of colours with me and discover new ways to make a positive impact through your art!

Outstanding Course

I took Jyotsna's course on making Botanical pigments, and she is the best!

Erin Parsons

Artist

Eco-Pigment Passion

I've always loved earth pigments. ... for anyone who wants to be as green and careful as possible ... that is something that Jyotsna is passionate about

Jane Blundell

Artist

Pigment Adventures

I have done ALL of Jyotsna's courses and they are brilliant. The presentation is really nice and the content has set me off on a kind of obsessive exploration of hunting for colours in nature, making pigments and the excitment of seeing what colours will come (often unexpectedly) from a plant. If you are interested in pigment making then do those courses and then the paint making one as you will then have your own 'materials' ready. Go for it!

Alfi Spencer

Artist

Colorful Inspiration

My first introduction to the world of making my own watercolours was when I stumbled upon Jyotsna's website . And therein I was sucked into her beautiful , natural , organic and colourful world . Needless to say , I spend a lot of time going through her site and gaining from her knowledge . So when she announced an online resource I immediately signed on. It is now very helpful to have lifelong access to her online lessons in basic watercolour making from pigments . Her scientific background adds to making this resource very organised . I find her energy and happiness in doing what she does both contagious and inspiring , and this comes through in her videos. I am sure I will keep returning to her online platforms and also her course material on a very regular basis , as I continue to find and make my own way towards creating my own sustainable watercolours

Mansi Shouche

Sustainable, Comprehensive & Affordable

The courses are absolutely amazing, and I plan to sign up for all of them! The content is very comprehensive and easy to understand. Jyotsna has a PhD in chemistry and not many other people in the world would have her intimate knowledge of the dye and ink-making processes. Her passion for sustainable art making and organic farming is second to none. The price of the courses are also very affordable, and I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in sustainable art practice.

Damian Talbot

Landscape Artist & Medical doctor

Transformative Journey

I just completed Jyotsna’s “Making Lake Botanicals” course and could not be happier with the content. Jyotsna’s instruction is understandable and easy to follow. I feel more confident in moving forward to making my own watercolor paints than ever before. I had a small concern about working through procedures that required using chemicals that could potentially go wrong. Her recipes are well thought out, and she goes step by step, making it easy to take notes and completely grasp the procedure, and that helped to eliminate my concern.

I was not surprised at how much I would like this course, as all of the courses and videos have been so appreciated. Of all the instruction, and instructors, I have followed, Jyotsna is, hands down, my favorite!

Sandra Wicinski