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In this hands-on workshop, participants actively explored the art of ink and pigment making, as well as eco-printing using a variety of native plants, flowers, food scraps, and weeds. Readily available plants found in the school garden and local landscape were used to create colors. Participants not only learned a series of straightforward color-making techniques but also engaged in playful mark-making and observational drawing exercises, fostering their creativity and connection to nature.
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A diverse selection of plants were used, including black knight scabiosa, black hollyhock, bright pink and red geranium flowers, Hopi red dye amaranth, goldenrod, coreopsis, sulfur cosmos, hibiscus, black dahlia, elderberry, red onion skins, dyers chamomile, lamb's quarter leaves, oak galls, black walnut husks, and coffee berry.

Thank you to our amazing presenters and the 30 educators from 18 diverse schools who participated in this workshop! Your contributions made a significant impact on the success and enjoyment of the day.

​If you haven’t had the chance yet, we kindly ask you to complete our post-workshop survey. Your feedback is invaluable to us and will help us enhance future experiences.
Workshop Resources
Botanical Arts Activity Booklet by Ione Maria Rojas
  • This booklet outlines the workshop lessons with guidance on foraging, lesson materials and instructions, suggested timings, and drawing exercises.
A note from Jane Straight about Honoring Indigenous Wisdom
Onion skin ink making (basic hot extraction method) by Ione Maria Rojas
Red cabbage ink making (basic hot extraction method, with an example at the end of some easy modifiers) by Ione Maria Rojas.
How to make oak gall ink by Craft Invaders
Eco-printing 'hapa-zome' style by School Garden Network
Collaged creatures by Ione Maria Rojas
How to make ink creatures by Sketchbook Skool
Blind contour drawing (aka don't look drawing) by the Artful Parent
Presenters & Workshop Contributors
Jane Straight (she/her)

Jane Straight is a devoted Mother, Grandmother, plant woman, teacher, and friend. Her history of impassioned plant work spans over 40 years, including preserving species collected in Central & South America. In the 1990’s she was instrumental in empowering students with the first school gardens in west Sonoma County.  While in semi-retirement now, she is writing a much requested cultivation guidebook. Jane is honored to share her understanding of the deep, mutually beneficial relationships that exist between plants and people and the importance of keeping sacred traditions alive. 

​Read more about her work: https://www.janestraight.com/
Contact: [email protected]

Contact info for Alice Hervey: [email protected]
Stacy Lippincott (she/her/ella)

Stacy is settled on unceded Coast Miwok lands in the hamlet of Bodega where she stewards a 12 acre property with extensive gardens and an orchard. She is the "Beauty Way" Manager at The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) and is the Mother of a teenage daughter. She has taught a variety of classes from leather work and felting, to eco-printing and bundle dyeing at many Ancestral Arts Gatherings and at The Spiritweavers Gathering. She holds a BS in Ecology and Evolution, is a Credentialed Educator, and has also completed the School Garden Teacher Training at OAEC. Stacy loves the alchemy and magic at the intersection of plants and artistry and sharing her passion for natures glory.

​Contact: [email protected]
Ione Maria Rojas (she/ella), Ecological Arts Curriculum Developer

Ione is a queer Mexican-English artist, facilitator, and heritage fruit and nut tree grower. She is curious about what colors and materials we can make from our immediate environment, and what stories are revealed to us through this process. She loves using mark making, automatic drawing, and writing tools for dialogue with our quieter, inner selves and the more-than-human world.

Read more about her work and contact here: https://www.ionemariarojas.com/
This workshop brought to you by SGN's partners: