In preparing for Soil Stories and considering a variety of soil interactions, we became fascinated with using soil to paint. There is something so grounding, yet powerful about using soil to create art. The journey began with borrowing a wonderful soil painting kit from Miami County Conservation District in Paola, KS. The kit impressively included dozens of containers of soil from all over Kansas. There were shades of brown, tan, yellow, and gray. Those soil samples were already dried and ground into fine powders. It was simple to mix a small amount of soil pigment with regular white craft glue or an acrylic medium to begin painting.
Delving deeper, we wanted to learn how to prepare pigments from raw soil collected in Sedgwick County. Using the steps shared by For the Love of Soil, our District Manager, Brenda Matson, created watercolors from several soils, including Ninnescah shale and clay from Spring Creek. Her video tutorials are shared below. HERE is the process she used to create the watercolors (including the recipe for watercolor media).
Thank you to our tireless video editor, Mae McGee!
Delving deeper, we wanted to learn how to prepare pigments from raw soil collected in Sedgwick County. Using the steps shared by For the Love of Soil, our District Manager, Brenda Matson, created watercolors from several soils, including Ninnescah shale and clay from Spring Creek. Her video tutorials are shared below. HERE is the process she used to create the watercolors (including the recipe for watercolor media).
Thank you to our tireless video editor, Mae McGee!
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Local painter and printmaker Becka Jahelka of Jahelka Art generously partnered with us to explore painting with the soil pigments. She not only experimented with watercolors and acrylic paint, but also drypoint prints! HERE are the names of the four paint pigments used.
Please check out her soil painting demonstration video below!
Please check out her soil painting demonstration video below!
We hope these presentations will inspire you to harvest soil from your specific place
and use it to create your own masterpieces.
Happy painting!
and use it to create your own masterpieces.
Happy painting!
“IF WE WANT TO STOP TREATING SOILS LIKE DIRT, WE FIRST NEED TO DEVELOP THE EYES TO SEE THEM.”
— YAMINA PRESSLER, https://www.fortheloveofsoil.org/
— YAMINA PRESSLER, https://www.fortheloveofsoil.org/
Funding for this program is provided by Humanities Kansas, a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life.