Winter Dyeing

 A Mystery

 

It  started with a simultaneous Instagram-post-exchange. My friend and I often like the same things and we sent the above post to each other with a question, "How did she do this.?" 

 

Eco-dyeing is very close to my wheelhouse and this post opened my eyes to using bark in the winter. If I could get it to work, it would bridge the winter gap. 

 

There were two possible candidates to consider: Eucalyptus and Mulberry bark. My friend instantly found Eucalyptus Bark in ETSY and I found Mulberry Bark at Hiromi. Again, simultaneous actions without much communication between us. 

 

   Mulberry Bark (Hiromi)

Eucalyptus Bark (ETSY)

 

My Eco-dye method involves the tannin inside of plants reacting with the iron embedded in the mordanted fabric. I checked and discovered the following:  

Mulberry bark (Morus spp.)

• Approximate tannin content: 3–8% (dry weight)

Eucalyptus bark (Eucalyptus spp.)

• Approximate tannin content: 10–25% (dry weight), depending on species 

 

This would assume that the bark from the Eucalyptus tree, higher in tannin, will have a stronger print. Below is a summary of several experiments on a simple cotton piece of RK Kona cotton. 

My preferred mordant is lighter in iron and I used it for the first experiments. Later I mordanted a piece of cotton with a high level of iron and found a dramatic difference (see below). 

Eco-dyeing is all about trial and error based on about a dozen variables. For more information on eco-dyeing check out Irit Dulman's teaching videos. https://iritdulman.com/workshop/

 

 

I started with Eucalyptus Bark, soaked it overnight and found it to be flexible, flat and a bit slimy. This was a great candidate for Eco-dyeing as it could be tightly rolled over a pipe without a problem. 

 

 

The mulberry bark resulted a very light print with a difference between the core of the bark and the outside. The left side of the above pic is the inside of the bark and the mirror image of (outside bark) is on the right.

 

 Here, I continue to re-steam the same fabric after re-positioning locations of freshly soaked mulberry. For a cotton print, the result was quite beautiful with more depth to the print.

 After discovering that Mulberry was lower in tannin with a very light print, I soaked the Mulberry bark in a solution of tannin overnight.

 

 

Once my friend dropped off the eucalyptus bark, I started the same experiments using large, hard and tough bark. Shaving off parts of the bark made it manageable.

 

 

 

Above you will see the RK Kona Cotton experiments using my standard lower iron mordant (left) to the higher iron mordant on the right. Notice the high iron mordant (right) has a stronger orange color, typical of  the higher iron content. 

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The above pic shows the bottom layer of the darker Eucalyptus bark next to the yellow print of Mulberry. The above prints were from Mulberry soaked in tannin. Since the fabric is folded in half, you can compare of prints from the outside of the bark to the inside. 

 

 

 

Above is the higher iron mordant with the characteristic orange color. Eucalyptus bark gives a huge dramatic effect and mulberry soaked in tannin also showed much more drama.   

I purchased more eucalyptus bark (ETSY) that was smaller in size and thickness.  

 Above is a double print showing a mixed bag of different bark samples and other plants that are dried for winter use. I blended both mordants (high and low) and found an in-between print.  

Mystery Solved: It was fun to demonstrate the difference in tannin and iron levels. Someday I might go back and get serious about replicating the Insta post. For now, I've found a new tool. We are surrounded by a woods with plenty of bark that I can now soak in tannin and print on fabric in the winter. 

 Sharon's Website

EarthArtGalleries.new.website

 

 

 

Layers, Light and Load-bearing Walls: My challenge of a 19-piece installation by Sharon Grosh.

 

By Sharon Grosh

This past spring, I installed 19 mixed media works as part of my show named, “Layers and Light” at The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisconsin. The show marked a culmination of two years of creative development — and an intense, three-week sprint to complete, frame, mount, and install nearly every piece.

About the Show

After a two-year wait, I was invited to present my work in the premier gallery space at The Phipps. The venue’s scale required me to finalize a significant body of work, including five pieces created during a 2025 annual residency in Costa Rica (which were reframed after returning home), and a tryptich from a 2023 residency. The latter, built on mulberry paper, had to be permanently mounted to canvas for stability.

My intention for 2025

One of my intentions for 2025 was to complete unfinished pieces — the ones that linger just shy of completion. This installation became the catalyst to finish a lot of work. The tryptich Oceanna from the ‘23 residency, was heavily layered onto layered mulberry paper and silk organza, the thin paper was supported it with sheet-rock mud and polymer medium. I trimmed the paper edges and mounted it to linen canvas. 

 

 

 

  Oceanna 1,2 & 3.

 

The Concept Behind, Layers and Light.

                    

Layers and Light represents work that evolved over the last few years, starting with flattened mixed medium collages to three dimensional structures and sheer fabric that layers over paper, creating more light and lift to the pieces. This concept helped me arrange the order and the story behind Layers and Light. Many times these pieces reflect the garden and its chaotic representation of color, texture and depth. 

 

                              

                  The Unknown (L), Curtains (M), Window Thru (R), & A Pauly Cudd Glass Platter

Unexpected Harmony

To my surprise, I shared the space with well-known glass artist Pauly Cudd. The curator had a wonderful eye, placing his luminous vases and platters beside my layered textile work. The combination created a natural atmosphere of contrast and complement — light playing through color and form.

 

The Challenge of the Birch Trees

Of the 19 pieces in the show, Birch Trees was by far the most challenging. Built on plywood and layered in encaustic-embedded silk tea bags, it weighed over 45 pounds. I had just one week to complete the edges and figure out how to hang it vertically — safely and cleanly.

After experimenting, consulting with the curator, and recruiting my husband for engineering support, we solved the issue. Once hung, it stood upright with presence — a sculptural focal point that grounded the rest of the installation. That moment was a personal triumph.

                                   

  

                                          

        

 The Birches

 

Reactions and Takeaways

Hearing from viewers — seeing their responses — reminded me why we do this work.

Finishing The Birches taught me the value of starting with a plan for presentation — even if that plan changes. It also reminded me that art isn’t always soft or serene. Sometimes it’s heavy, literal, and full of problem-solving. And that’s part of the beauty.

     Sharon's website