extinction hematite : january ‘20
Tilke Elkins, this month’s pigment contributor, says: “This pigment is a purple ochre from the hills near Oakridge, Oregon, found in summer 2013 as a single great clump which had rolled into the middle of a narrow dirt logging road. The clump was quite varied, with dense, redder sections and areas with many tiny crystals. Purple ochre supposedly has the same chemical composition as red ochre, an anhydrous ferric oxide mineral. So why is it purple? One suggestion is that the shift in hue towards blue is a result of larger particles, which shift the way the light moves through the mineral. I’m not sure of the geologic history of this particular stone, but I’m fascinated by theories that hematite formed a couple billion years ago when cyanobacteria produced a glut of oxygen that caused mass extinctions and nearly killed off all life on the planet. Those that survived the poisoning of the atmosphere went on the evolve into multi-celled organisms, like us. Is our current atmospheric poisoning a prequel to new life forms? One can only hope.”
contributor : tilke elkins
Tilke Elkins is a visual artist and writer who lives near the banks of the Willamette River in Springfield Oregon. Tilke has been exploring the world of wild pigments since 1999, the year she discovered that alfalfa chlorophyll could be mixed with rice starch and used as a printing ink. Resonance with powerful ochre sites as a teen left a deep impression, and in 2008 she stopped using synthetic pigments altogether and began an in-depth exploration of ‘wild’ pigments — those found by foraging outside in urban and remote wild places. She paints on large reclaimed wood panels, foraged objects, and outdoor surfaces.
Tilke founded Wild Pigment Project in March, 2019, and launched Ground Bright the following July. 22% of the net profit from Ground Bright goes to land and cultural stewardship organizations — the rest funds Tilke’s work running all aspects of Wild Pigment Project and Ground Bright. Tilke also teaches Palette Remediation Intensive courses at her home studio, as well as Pigments of Place workshops at various institutions. www.tilkeelkins.com
22% donation recipient : Komemma Cultural Protection Association
Kalapuya elder Esther Stutzman uses funding from Kommema Cultural Protection Association to run the American Indian Youth Camp — now in its 40th year! — where kids learn Kalapuya language and culture. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the ancestral homelands of the Kalapuya, who are made up of eight independent groups with three different dialects. Stutzman, who is Yoncalla Kalapuya, the most southerly group, worked with the Oregon cities of Eugene & Springfield to establish a series of carved stones known as ‘Talking Stones,’ which were placed in a natural area that spans the two cities. Each stone bears a different Kalapuya word which relates to the land, including one which reads ‘Camafeema,’ after which this month’s pigment is named. Pigment contributor Tilke Elkins helps maintain the Talking Stones by using local wild pigments to repair occasional graffiti damage. Esther Stutzman & David G Lewis have initiated a campaign to rename ‘Lane County,’ Oregon, ‘Kalapuya County.’ Go to change.org to sign their petition, and to www.mrgfoundation.org to donate directly to KCPA.