On the Map, 2021: #3 Brittany Boles

Brittany and I met through a Facebook group called the Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods (IPEM). She has been facilitating the private group page for over 3-years. This page has more than 6.3K members now and became a wonderful oasis for anyone enthusiastic about cultivating, practicing, and learning more about a variety of indigo. Furthermore, everyone in this group is so supportive of each other about sharing their indigo dye knowledge, indigo farming tips, etc. I hope you enjoy Brittany's exciting indigo journey in Oregon in the United States.

All photos are from Brittany and detailed credits are being listed at the end of this story.

1. Address / Location

I tend indigo in partnership with Northfork53 farm on the unceded lands of the Clatsop & Nehalem peoples (Gearhart & Nehalem Oregon).

Growing zone 8b, a temperate climate with a growing season from April-October.

2. About your Indigo and Practice

I am now entering the 5th season of tending several varietals of Persicaria tinctoria aka Japanese Indigo: Senbon, Kojyoko, Maruba, Chijimiba, and Amabe.

I was introduced to indigo plants thanks to Kara Gilbert of Vibrantvalley farm. My original Persicaria tinctoria seeds came from Rickettsindigo (Rowland Ricketts). I am greatly influenced by the practices of so many who share in the growers' community Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods (IPEM) on Facebook through my recent project Blue Biographies, a seed-to-story interview series. A few of my other major catalysts have been John Marshall, Liz Spencer (Thedogwooddyer), Iris Sullivan Daire (Dreambird.studio), Ginger Edwards (Northfork53), and the Fibershed.

My personal practice is driven by exploration and collaborative connection: the intensive novel that is extraction, the playfulness of fresh leaves crushed by hand, and the mystery of indirubin. Indigo has been a teacher, lover, and metaphor. Indigo as a dye is unique, but it is the full circle cellular cycle, the soil-seed-sprout-green-neon-blue-pigment transformation that calls to me beyond just blue cloth. The indigo metaphor is a reflection of the whole spectrum of human experience and ancestral connection.

My favorite practice is combining efforts with other local artists, farmers, growers, and teachers to co-create. Some collaborative projects include Indigofest with Iris of Dreambird studio and Natural Dye Podcast with Kelsie Doty. My indigo journey has been communal and when I say indigo has changed the way I walk around the world, I mean, the seed has taken root in my soil/soul.

3. About your Language & Culture

Language: English

Culture: My family influenced my love of plants and process as I was home-schooled from K- 10th grade. My mother and father, both avid gardeners and birders, taught me to identify, forage, and tend to plants. I was extremely privileged to spend most of my days outside roaming the forested property where I grew up. I am grateful to have had access to nature, surrounded by great rivers, mountains, lakes, and the Pacific ocean my whole life.

Ancestry: My ancestors are from Delft, Zaandam, Langnau im Emmantal, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain, and Tenochtitlán.

Click here to visit Brittany's story & Northfork 53 farm on the map!

Watch Just Being poem short film

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Photo credits:

1. Ceremony cloth at @chariot.home dyed with indigo, avocado, and onion skins using hand-cut resist shapes.

2. Dried pigment from my first indigo pigment extraction in 2017.

3. Linen dyed for @shiftastoria bandanas (Plantdanas;) with indigo, marigolds, and coreopsis from the dye garden @northfork53

4. Reflection in the vat

5. Coastal Valley Blue a pigment collaboration with @vibrantvalleyfarm and @dreambird.studio for @wildpigmentproject Ground Bright series.

6. A typical studio desk, mid-multi process situation. This during an inspiring online class from John Marshall, author of Singing the Blues

7. @indigo.fest Indigo Sampler kit. Created with @dreambird.studio for Intuitive Indigo course.

8. Indirubin on silk velvet, created through @indigobluefields online instructional

9. Cleaning seeds, Persicaria Tinctoria, Chijimiba (crinkle leaf/omak ripple varietal received from @twolooms)

10. All things indigo, a flat lay.

11. 2020 end of summer, 3 rows of 4 varietals of persicaria tinctoria at @northfork53. Kojyoko, Chijimiba, Senbon, and Maruba.

11. sulfer cosmos float on a sea of indigo leaves mid extraction

12. A dye garden harvest day @northfork53. Persicaria tinctoria, marigolds, sulfer cosmos, scabiosa, and dyers chamomile.

13. Hold pigment extracted in 2019 image credit @christine_noeljames

14. Demoing pigment vs paste. Still from Intuitive Indigo videos image credit @christine_noeljames

15. Setting the Vat Table at @vibrantvalleyfarm. Still from Intuitive Indigo videos, image credit @christine_noeljames

16. Harvesting indigo in my 4 Directions(dyed with my 4 varietals of persicaria) dress, made by @lookoutandwonderland and a marigold-dyed @shift.astoria Plantdana. Still from Intuitive Indigo, image credit @christine_noeljames.

17. indigo vat "Mothers". citrus, iron and henna reducers.Still from Intuitive Indigo videos, image credit @christine_noeljames

18. Hand-rolled persicaria indigo pastels

And indigostem paper made by @DeMarinisprinting

19. Indigo pastels drying

20. Fresh Leaf Magic workbook made for Indigofest 2019 @indigo.fest. Image credit @sfawnd

21. A young persicaria tinctoria plant. Image credit @sfawnd

22. Sample from the vat at Craft of the Vat class for Indigofest 2019 @indigo.fest. Image credit @sfawnd

23. Fresh indigo puree on paper. for Indigofest 2019 @indigo.fest. Image credit @sfawnd

24. A happy vat at Indigofest 2019 @indigo.fest. Image credit @sfawnd

25. Fresh leaf dyed silks

26. Fresh leaf dyed silks

27. Woad Warriors project results from wild woad in the Siskuyou National forrest.

A collaboration with @pigmenthunter, @learning.by.hand, and kindred.craft

@kindred.craft

28. A full moon of pigment, filtering with a fresh leaf.

29. Fresh leaf stained hand

30. Woad Warriors project pigment filtering

31. Woad Warriors pigment, dry with woad flowers

On the Map, 2021: #2 Kokoro Indigo Culture & Craft

KOKORO Indigo Culture: Bizkaia, Spain.

Our next story is about Marian, co-creators of KOKORO: their indigo plants, Culture, Location and Language.

KOKORO Indigo Culture & Craft is located in Biscay, Spain, a textile studio where we carry out all the processes with the indigo plant that are traditionally carried out separately: from the cultivation of the indigo, the preparation of the tubs, the dyeing, and the design.

You can see more about their indigo journey and traditional processes @kokoroindigoculture

All photos from Kokoro Indigo Culture & Craft

1. Location/Environment

Marian resides in Sopuerta, a town in the Basque Country/Bizkaia. In Bizkaia, the climate is oceanic, with high precipitation all year round and moderate temperatures, which allow the lush vegetation to grow. This artist and farmer is cultivating indigo in the place where they each live with the intention that home where they can have the best production. This year, she have not been able to cultivate as much due to the circumstances brought upon by the pandemic. Having grown about three twenty-foot rows, although this has allowed for more experimentation with the indigo.

2. About Indigo & Practices

Marian is currently focusing on Persicaria tinctoria (polygonum tinctorium/commonly known as Japanese Indigo) and a small quantity of Isatis tinctoria (also called woad dyer's woad, or glastum).

“This year I have not been able to cultivate as much as I would have liked due to the circumstances of the virus. I've only grown about three twenty-foot rows. However, this has allowed us to test our indigo. I am not using any chemicals. Starting this month I will be able to start planting green manure to prepare the soil for next spring. I am sending you photos of our indigo, it is persicaria tinctoria. I have also planted some isatis tinctoria, but it is not very important, they are only a few plants with which I intend to do a small extraction of pigment.”

KOKORO's project is centered on the production of Sukumo. Marian, fellow artist/indigo planter, plan to visit Japan to learn the process of Takayuki Ishii. All of the indigo Marian has produced are organic, grown under ecological criteria and no chemicals involvements. She will begin to plant green manure to prepare the soil for this spring. This past 2021, I was able to take an online course with Debra for the production of sukumo following the steps of Takayuki Isshii's book, "The way of Indigo" and this year in 2022 I am doing my first real sukumo experience. Previously I did two that failed, but for me that is interesting, because it allows me to continue growing as a professional. A sukumo master is not one at first.

A Sukumo making process with leaves from polygonum tinctorium

Indigo flower from the Sukumo vat and a sample testing

Woad (isatis tinctoria) vat fermentation principle & crusing dried woad ball

3. Local Language & Culture

Biscay has been inhabited since the Middle Paleolithic era (300,000 to 30,000 years ago during the Stone Age). The Roman presence had little impact in the region as the Basque language and traditions have survived to this day. Spanish is a main language has been commonly used in this region. Their philosophy is focused on inspiring and creating "a culture based on the indigo plant through its history, its science and its art to people of all ages with workshops and other activities." They hope "to build a community of people who learn and contribute to creating an indigo culture and we do research on the sustainable growth and processing of indigo dyeing."

Photos taken during the indigo master David Santandreu's studio visit and sample dyeing.

Original Spanish Version is Here: Una versión original en español

Marian vive en un pueblo de Bizkaia en el País Vasco que se llama Sopuerta. En mi proyecto llevo un año y estamos a medio camino para avanzar.

Este año no he podido cultivar tanto como hubiera querido por las circunstancias del virus. Solo he cultivado unas tres filas de siete metros. Sin embargo, esto me ha permitido poder hacer pruebas con nuestro indigo. Quiero centrar el proyecto r en la producción de sukumo, por eso estoy secando la mayor parte de las hojas, ya que tenía planeado ir el próximo noviembre a Japón a estudiar el proceso con Takayuki Ishii cuyo contacto nos dió Debra Ketchum. En estos momentos no creo que podamos ir porque Japón tiene cerradas sus fronteras y no podemos viajar. Así que tendremos que posponer el viaje al año que viene. Toda la producción la he hecho bajo criterios ecológicos. No estoy usando ningún producto químico. A partir de este mes podré empezar a plantar abono verde para preparar la tierra para la próxima primavera. Te mando fotos de mi indigo .Es persicaria tinctoria. También he plantado un poco de isatis tinctoria, pero no es muy importante, solo son unas pocas plantas con las que pretendo hacer una pequeña extracción de pigmento.

Este pasado 2021, pude realizar un curso online con Debra para la producción de sukumo siguiendo los pasos del libro de Takayuki Ishii, “ The way of Indigo” y este año en 2022 estoy haciendo mi primera experiencia real de sukumo. Anteriormente hice dos que fracasaron, pero para mi eso es interesante, porque me permite seguir creciendo como profesional. Un maestro de sukumo no lo es a la primera.

Thank you to Marian for contributing to our map! For more information about KOKORO's extraction process please visit their site.

Click here to see Kokoro Indigo Culture & Craft on the Map!

On the Map, 2021: #1 Sandhu Farm

On the Map is a new initiative by Indigo Shade Map in 2021 that aims to introduce stories about indigo through three categories: Location, Indigo plants & Practices, and Language and Cultures. The first story of On the Map is from Kinny Sandhu at Sandhu Farm in India.

Please follow @kinnysandhu on Instagram to be connected with Kinny!

All photos from Kiran (Kinny) Sandhu

1. Address / Location

My Farm is set in the Foot Hills of the lower Himalayas. We are in a very fertile area that has rich soil and plenty of water. The Monsoons are gifts from God to India and the Gangetic plain is where we can farm 4 crops a year. This is where I grow my indigo. The area is called, Tarai, meaning the WET. Therefore I call my crop Taraiblue.

2. About your indigo

I grew up on sugar plantations; my family owned sugar factories and distilleries. These sugar plantations were at one time indigo plantations. Near where I lived was where Gandhi Ji started his civil disobedience movement against the British. Local farmers were starving as famines were caused by farmers not being allowed to grow their own crop but only Indigo for the British to send to Europe. This area was in Bihar and East United Province where I lived. I now live with my husband on his farm in the Tarai region in the Northern State of Uttrakand. This is a newly formed farming area that was developed from felling forest land into housing settlements for the refugees who were displaced after the Partition in 1947, from Western Punjab and now Pakistan. The farmers here in Tarai grow wheat, rice, sugar cane, the usual farming crops, and now Indigofera tinctoria, which is a new crop here! With wonderful results, my crop was standing 7 to 8 feet tall last season. I had a wonderful harvest. Now we are getting ready for the new sewing and a lot of Indigo cakes to sell to dyers all over the world.

3. About Local Languages & Cultures

Where I live is a very diverse area. We have the Punhabj settlers who came here as refugees in 1947, so we speak Punjabi, Hindi, and the local hill dialects. When Bangladesh 🇧🇩 was formed in 1971 we had another set of refugees settle here so we also speak Bengali, but English is used a lot. I thought it would be interesting for you to have this background about where I live.

Click here to go to see the Sandhu farm on the map!