IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!
For the longest time, like most people I've equated the late summer and autumn season with pumpkins, sunflowers, Indian corn, wheat husks, maizes and jack-o-lanterns, chilly nights and bright blue skies hovering in sunny days that turn the leaves golden and crimson.
Now, though? While fall is still my very favorite time of year and I celebrate it's entrance, I also get cheesed up over ... black walnuts. Of all things, Debra!
Growing up in rural Michigan with five giant black walnut trees framing the drive of the farm across the road, I’d collected many a happy memory, reading and playing under the shade of those massive trees with my younger brother, Larry (I miss you Bubs! We'll do it again one day...). However, in the 30+ years since of living in the deep South, I had never seen one single black walnut tree and thus those memories lay dormant.
So, when I had the privilege of teaching in Western North Carolina (USA) at the John C Campbell Folk School in late autumn a few years ago, you can imagine my suprise to see that black walnut trees are abundant in the Blue Ridge Mountain region.
Of course, I can't do anything quite 'normal,' so my discovery involved a near-fall as I slipped - think banana peel when wet - on a prolific pile of walnuts while plein air painting. My artist buddy from Florida, Robin Popp, with whom I was working, mentioned she collects them to make ink for her beautiful handmade journals, and so I decided to try my hand upon returning to North Georgia.
So I experimented and researched and experimented some more, and then posted the results on Instagram and Facebook. I was impressed by the immediate interest - with five people asking if they could buy them! I decided to produce more, and have been asked lots more questions.
black walnut ink, handcrafted by artist debra hart for artists …
…lovingly made with black walnut hulls, distilled water & clove bud essential oil
I've since sold my entire stock of walnut inks! With that kind of interest, I'm working on some short videos to demo how to use the inks as another tool in your (and my) ever-growing art supply stash. PS: You can find the original 13-min. version on Instagram HERE!
So, when I recently traveled to Western NC (again with my friend Robin), we made a quick "side trip" to gather more hulls. As I write this, a fresh batch is curing and will be bottled very soon.
You can find order information at the bottom or hop over to my shop HERE. :)
In the meantime, below you can see the process I used to make these gorgeous inks. ⬇︎⬇︎
1 - I begin with collecting black walnuts still in the hull. In my region (the Southeastern U.S.), black walnut trees grow prolifically in the Smokies, Appalachians, and Blue Ridge Mountains, and foothills of the Piedmont. Mine are harvested in the Western North Carolina mountains.
3 - After the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency, remove from heat. Once it is cool enough to safely handle, the hulls and shells are strained out multiple times using cheesecloth and fine strainers. I typically do this over a stainless steel sink or outdoors in case of spillage.
Squeezing every bit of goodness out of these inks crafted from such rich natural materials, my cheesecloth is left outside to dry in the sun, then gently rinsed of walnut ‘bits’ (particles), and dried again before using in mixed media and art journaling projects.
2 - The walnut “hulls,” which range in colour from green to near-black and still include the hard shelled walnuts, are boiled for a long time in distilled water and white vinegar. The longer the boil, the richer and darker the resulting colour of the ink.
4 - After straining, the ink is carefully poured into quart glass (mason/ball) jars to finish cooling and for easier mixing. It’s much easier to use a large funnel from the pot to the quart-size jars and then use a smaller funnel to transfer later from the larger glass jars to the smaller (1 and 2 oz.) glass bottles. Ask me how I know this! 🤣
It’s also wise to allow about 2-3 inches at the top of each quart jar to make mixing in the essential oils and isopropyl alcohol much easier - just put the lid back on the jar and shake.
5 - Once the cooling and straining is process is complete, a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and clove bud essential oil are added to each batch to preserve the natural properties. This retards molds from developing over time … and smells great! :)
6 - The batches are covered tightly and left overnight to meld.
The inks are then bottled and the labels are lightly hand-painted to show the ink color.
Tip: To keep the label glue from separating (alcohol can break down glue), a very light touch is used so the label typically shows a pale shade; the ink is much darker and can be layered over itself to great effect in order to obtain an even deeper shade.
NOW THE FUN BEGINS!
Here are some mark-making examples from my art journal - just look at the range of shades and versatility of these black walnut inks!
TECHNIQUES:
Use with the dropper (see product in my shop here): try direct-to-paper techniques, draw with the dropper, drip and spill, drop into a palette and use a brush, move around as watercolour or ink
Use with spray top (see product in my shop here): try stenciling, stamping, direct-to-paper, with masks, mark-making tools such as bubble wrap, pine needle bunches, brayer, forks, you name it!
More suggested applications: brush lettering, calligraphy, watercolour painting, stain papers, dye natural materials such as fibers and wood ornaments, furniture, and decor - just to name a few!
More mark-making examples from my art journal: spraying, dry-brushing, doodling with wet brush, dripping, sponging, and spritzing with water.
These black walnut inks work beautifully on just about any porous surface … just seal with your favorite matte medium, collage glue, or varnish before adding more layers of color or stain.
Let your imagination fly!
A little PS:
Available in larger quantities (pint and quart size); please use the CONTACT form to inquire about pricing and shipping.
If you are in the Pine Bluff/Pinehurst area of North Carolina, you’re in luck! The entire black walnut ink line is available at: Creating Freedom Gallery & Studio, in the Pine Bluff/West End area of NC. Visit awhile, check out her incredible gallery and art … and be sure to tell Amy I sent you! :)
I’d love to hear your comments and questions, below, too!