ancient paint palette

spend a day with us on the foreshore learning how to create your own paint palette… from ochre… driftwood… sea slugs…
from collecting the raw ochre pigments thought to creating your own prehistoric paint…
learn about the most costly dye ever… tyrian purple…
collect drift wood to make into charcoal…

the earth’s pigments were one of the first ‘paints’ used by man…
iron oxides produce colourful deposits…
some wonderful ochre yellows – reds – browns can be found…
these ochre colours together with carbon black were used in prehistoric cave paints…

the raw ochre is collected from the cliff between Staithes & Port Mulgrave…
once at Port Mulgrave the raw ochre is ground  to make a fine powder…
this powder is then used to make ochre paint…
a binder is  used together with the ochre powder to make a paste…
this paste can then be used to create ‘art’…

tyrian purple.. can be found on the foreshore…
sea slugs (Aplysia punctata) produce this costly dye -  while we won’t be using the dye in the same way as the ancient civilizations did…
we will be producing a ‘paint’ from the  sea slugs before returning them to there natural habitat unharmed…

while walking along the foreshore or across the beach keep your eye out for a few dry sticks or twigs…
once at Port Mulgrave we will be using them to make charcoal…
a great ‘mark making’ tool – carbon black…

Course dates

Monday 7th May 2012, Tuesday 21st August 2012 & Wednesday 17th October 2012

or arranged to suit you…  please contact us…

Cost £50.00 per person inclusive of all materials…
and a ‘lobster’ lunch…