For those already captivated by the world of fungi, SOMA Camp January 16-19, offers a unique way to dive deeper—through forays, cooking demos, microscopy, DNA lab, gourmet food and the incredible colors of mushrooms! I’m delighted to be a keynote speaker alongside David Aurora and Gabrielle Cerberville, and I’ll also be leading a hands-on, half-day immersion into the vibrant art of mushroom-based dyes and pigments. Come explore, experiment, and discover the stunning colors mushrooms can bring to your work.
We’ll explore the rich spectrum of color hidden within wild mushrooms and learn how to extract and transform these hues into dyes, pigments, inks, and watercolor paints. I will guide participants through foundational mushroom dye techniques, introduce the process of lake making for creating stable pigments, and demonstrate methods for making inks and mulling your own paint.
Along the way, we’ll discuss which fungi yield the strongest colors, how to sustainably source dye mushrooms, and the alchemical process that turns fungi into art materials. Participants will also create a mini zine to document their color experiments, and go home with sample mushroom paints and a craftbook of recipes and techniques to keep exploring.
Whether you're a mycologist or mycophile eager to deepen your practice, this workshop invites you to see mushrooms in an entirely new (and colorful) light.