red ochre : august ‘19
Multivalent ochre of hematite and jarosite. Oakland, California. Foraged in 2015.
From a parking lot that covered and destroyed an indigenous Costanoan Ohlone ochre mine. Near to the parking lot is also a 19th century colonial sulfur mine. The stone is a mixture of both red ochre (hematite) and iron sulfate (jarosite) valued by two different cultures that occupied this landscape.
contributor : heidi gustafson
“I was called to this work from visions, inner guides, and a powerful dream which led me to discover the destroyed ochre quarry in Oakland. This stone is from one of my earlier explorations of that landscape. I work with ochre (aka iron-based) pigments, learning how they can help humans evolve and what roles they play in the relationships between imagination and matter and the power of place.
I teach and mentor people how to connect to place, forage for mineral pigments, and find meaningful and personal ways to work with them. I also make personal pigments for people to support their individual practices, of all kinds. My primary mentors include a handful of magical earthdoctors including: Ms. Winnie Thomas, a Baltimore City early childhood guru; Dr. Steven D. Goodman, a Tibetan Buddhist ritual scholar and practitioner; Melonie Ancheta, a Northwest Coast pigment and paint technology expert; Captain Buck McAdoo, a Northwest mycological forager and madman; my parents Jody and Gregg Gustafson and numerous friends and colleagues across many disciplines.”
Find Heidi at www.earlyfutures.com
Photo from Heidi’s website, www.earlyfutures.com. Photo credit Kyle Johnson (NYT).
22% donation recipient : Intertribal Friendship House of Oakland
Pigment contributor Heidi Gustafson has chosen to donate 22% of the net of August’s Ground Bright subscriptions to Intertribal Friendship House of Oakland, the region where the pigment originates. The Intertribal Friendship House is one of the oldest Indian-focused urban resources and community organizations in the United Staes. Founded in 1955, IFH was created by local residents, and supports a multi-tribal Bay Area Indian community. www.ifhurbanrez.org