Coreopsis blossoms create a vibrant yellow color when combined with water. The resulting ink is wonderful to work with and fairly hardy. I love painting with this ink, and also creating eco prints. When you combine Coreopsis ink with Copper Oxide ink, you will get a very rich orange color. Drop a small bit of Black Walnut ink onto Coreopsis, and then add a drop of Coreopsis into into the Black Walnut. The combination will leave a gorgeous brown center (like the iris of an eye) with an orange flame around it. it is also fun to paint a thin line of Copper Oxide into still-wet Coreopsis to create “flames.” You can even watch the color change in front of your eyes!
To create this ink, you will need Coreopsis blossoms. Coreopsis is both a cultivated and wild flower. You can research it online to find where it grows. If it doesn’t grow in your area, you can buy dried Coreopsis online through companies that sell natural dyes. These flowers depicted below were a gift from my neighbor. This year, she gave me part of the plant when she was thinning. These flowers also grow wild where I live, so I have lots of Coreopsis friends around. Lucky me!
Coreopsis is a fun plant to connect with. In my experience, it is often very upbeat and even funny. And it, like most plants I commune with, will be much less chatty during drought conditions. Please respect the plant’s need to conserve its energy, and try not to harvest during these times. As always, it is good to follow respectful harvesting practices (ask permission before harvesting and listen for the answer, do not take more than you need, never take the first or the last, give a gift of gratitude). When asking permission, I like to tell plant friends how I plan to work with the ink. When I say “for art” or “for teaching,” I am always met with an enthusiastic “yes!”
Recipe for Coreopsis Ink
1. Combine coreopsis blossoms with water in a 1 to 8 ratio (example = 1/8 C dried Coreopsis blossoms and 1 C water) in a glass jar.
2. Soak the blossoms overnight.
3. After soaking overnight, pour the contents of the jar into a pot, and bring the entire mixture (blossoms and soaking water) to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour, checking every 10 minutes to make sure there is enough water. Test the color every ten minutes by dipping a small strip of thick paper (watercolor paper works well) into the ink.
4. Once ink is the desired color of yellow, remove from heat. If you are getting an orange color, it is starting to overcook, so it’s best to take the mixture off the heat before it turns brown. Let it cool.
5. Strain off ink into a bowl and put it to the side.
5. Compost or reserve cooked blossoms. Sometimes you can make another batch of this ink. The second batch is always less vibrant, but often still quite beautiful.
6. Pour the yellow/orange ink from it’s bowl into a glass jar, and add whole cloves. Whole cloves act as a natural preservative. Cover the jar and give a gentle shake to mix the ink and cloves.
7. Label the jar with the contents and date, and store it in a place that is safe from young children and pets. Because this ink is loaded with tannins (natural pesticides), it could make someone sick if they accidentally drink it. Storing the ink in a refrigerator will allow it to last longer. This ink freezes well. You can pull it out on a winter day to lift your spirits and connected with the sun.
8. Use heavy paper (like watercolor or printmaking paper) when painting with this ink.
9. Have fun and give thanks to the plant!
Magical Nature Tarot 