In the backyard of
Sustainability
their farm, our experiments began with the mixing of slaked lime ( Calcium hydroxide )
with red and purple pigments – we experimented also with walnut leaves (Juglans regia) and the stems and roots of Greater Celendine ( Chelidonium majus ). The red soil from Zlatna gave a beautiful pale red-brown but the purple berry juice gave a startling and vibrant green (we had expected mauve or lilac). Four young ladies from a fashion, art and design background, Sarah Cohlson, Emi Fujisawa, Lua Vollard and Chantelle Matthews began work to use the colours to decorate the outside wall of the stable. It was Sarah’s idea to use a traditional Romanian cross-stitch design as the template. The pattern that emerged was breathtaking in its visual impact and in such a simple way it brought the endeavor of our stitching and weaving ancestors back to life. Lua experimented with copper sulphate blue, the elderberry green and onion skin yellow plus the use of patterned rubber rollers (a common wallpaper effect method across Central and Eastern Europe) to give different yet complementary results.
The link to traditional textiles was also made through imitating the ‘cross-stitches’ using potato-cut printing blocks (most UK school children learn how to do this!)
Sarah, Lua, Silvia (limeburner),Chantelle & Emi with Monica Oprean, Director of Romanian ‘Green Village’ partner the Satul Verde Association and their innovative creation with a sound base of tradition. 11 I Green Village