I am currently exploring Botanical inks.

I have purchased homemade botanical inks from www.botaninkal.co.uk (who have an Etsy shop) and from L Cornenlissen & Son.  I have made Turmeric Ink as I have this spice in my store cupboard, whereas other botanicals are hard to source or are not in season at the moment.  ‘Make Ink’ by Jason Logan is a good reference for different types of inks that can be made at home.

The inks that I have purchased are Rust, Hibiscus, Copper, Oak Gall, Weld, Nettle, Birch Bark and Mangel Wurzel from www.botaninkal.co.uk and Brazil Wood, Green Hawthorn, Carmine & Yellow Hawthorn from L Cornenlissne & Son.

The inks are very interesting and some of them change colour when applied to a surface and are exposed to air. For example, the hibiscus ink is a dark burgundy red, but when applied to paper and dries, it changes to a grey.  Although the the inks have the tendency to fade and not all are archival, (except for Iron Gall Ink, which I understand, manuscripts going back to medieval times and beyond were written Iron Gall Ink and are still legible), they can be used as inspiration to develop further work, allowing the feeling of being connected to the landscape and nature. With this in mind I have used the botanical inks, as well as home made chalk and wax pastels in a sketch of the Helford River In Winter.