Painting with Vegetables

Plant based colors

I recently taught a workshop in Sisters, Oregon for a garden fair about painting with beets. Not one to be monochromatic, I included several other veggies and plants for color. I cooked up dandelion blossoms, brewed black and strawberry teas.

The results were most interesting. Of course, the beets stole the show with intensity, dandelion turned into a pale tan, black tea brown but the strawberry tea that brewed up red turned blue-gray! See the photos.

What else could you use? Turmeric of course would give you a lovely orange, orange beets might do the same. There is so many ways to create natural colors with vegetation. Do a quick search online and you will come up with a good selection.

Here is how I prepped the veggies to make a paint or ink to paint with.

Both the beets and dandelions I cooked. Beets I cut up into small chunks, added water and simmered for about 30 minutes. You could then eat the beets if you wish or add them to your compost pile if you are not a beet eater! Dandelions I simmered for about 30 minutes. In both cases I covered the material with water, brought it to a boil then turned the heat down to a simmer.

Tea is made in the same way as you would drink it: boiling water over the tea leaves and allow to steep for about 20 minutes or more.

Have fun with your own natural colors.