As artist Caitlin ffrench shares her deeply personal approach to working with natural pigments, she invites readers to discover magic in the colour all around you. Explore how to respectfully wildcraft pigments from rocks, dirt and sticks; and how to forage or cultivate dye plants. Learn how to make inks, paints and dyes from natural pigments for use on paper, fibre, textiles and more. Develop personal rituals for marking the seasons and interacting with nature that will inform and inspire your creativity. For artists, for crafters, for curious inhabitants of this big beautiful world: Gathering Colour will help you bring fresh perspective and a connection to nature into your creative practice.

Caitlin ffrench's profile page

Caitlin ffrench is a Canadian artist and instructor working with wildcrafted pigments from within the landbases she visits as a way to explore the connections between place and memory. In her academic work, she explores parallels between her grief for the loss of landscapes and her grief for her body being disabled by multiple sclerosis. Caitlin lives in Vancouver, BC.

“... a welcome addition to our dye studio library. Caitlin’s unique and dynamic way of communicating with nature via pigments to create art, dye, textiles, paint, glaze, and more is inspiring, beautiful, and absolutely full of magic.” – Kristine Vejar and Adrienne Rodriguez, authors of The Modern Natural Dyer, Journeys in Natural Dyeing, and owners of A Verb for Keeping Warm

"Caitlin ffrench has written a tactile, practical guide to the magic space where hands and earth meet. The colour wisdom in this book is both rooted in the past and an offering of seeds for the future." – Jason Logan, author of Make Ink and founder of The Toronto Ink Company

"As if the voice of Wilderness itself, Caitlin ffrench’s Gathering Colour speaks with an authenticity born from a deeply intimate relationship with the forests, shores and byways of British Columbia, Canada. Gathering Colour offers ways to connects us, not just to the land and natural world, but to our materials and ourselves while inspiring us in the use of wild materials." – Melonie Ancheta, Founder/director Pigments Revealed International

"Gathering Colour is rooted in intentional and vulnerable connection to land, plants and community. Caitlin encourages readers to experience the natural world around them with openness, respect and celebration of colour. Every page is a beautiful and honest expression of Caitlin and her experience with natural dyes, while calling others to explore the world around them through art, ritual and reverence." – Anna Hunter, Author, Sheep, Shepherd & Land