After the Flower Moon

Fallen Colour. Tulip Ink. Street Harvesting. Tips.

The full flower moon just passed, dear reader. At night the globe of dandelion fluffs otherworldly among the black tulips I found for making ink. The next morning, poppies snakey green furred, almost throwing their petals around riches to whoever would notice. The edge of the road is full of stomped-on colour— the scattered aftermath of colour party confetti from the May moon.

Flower petals and colored powder are thrown around at an event to celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi for children with cerebral palsy organized by the Trishla Foundation in Allahabad, India. 2018 AFP

Flower Shop Kibou Playround Design

The Canang Sari palm leaf baskets with crackers, flowers, incense and other offerings of Colour to the Hindu gods in Bali

Wikipedia says The Canang Sari offerings found on the beaches and sidewalks of Bali are a particularly Balanese form of Hinduism. Ca meaning beautiful and nang meaning purpose. And for a moment I wish I were in Bali, that I also had some beautiful purpose and a woven banana leaf basket to launch onto the streets like a hopeful raft. But if you are looking carefully wherever you are, you might find little shrines. You might make your own shrine. To the inkmaker, the urban noticer, each corner of the sidewalk now seems to be a tiny play put on about life and death letting go and the still joyful wreckage of the just opened up. Piñata of spring.

Sometimes the flowers just get so heavy that they flop down to rest on the sidewalk and I collect them as they dry.

I mean when do you throw out your bouquet? Tulips especially love a melodramatic death scene.

but its the darkest petals that I want for ink. Did a squirrel pick this one for me?

The yellow pollen of all kinds of flowers as begun to interest me

Yellow flowers, tree flowers, scraps of tannins, a kind of street recipe. I add alum. All seems possible.

Geranium flowers went green in my sketchbook. And with lampblack, marbleized. All the colours that are in one colour of petal.

Camden a few years ago I went to launch of The Plant Magazine but I was too shy to talk to anyone and then I started seeing fallen blossoms everywhere

Gift from Marta Abbott. Alway messages of flowerings from Rome

brrch.com

Devotion. (Universal Utility) Makes me feel like bouquets are everywhere.

Fallen Petals, Fallen Pollen inktest on paper

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IN THE COLOUR LAB: A recipe for Black Tulip ink

1. Separate just the petals from the flower.

2. Soak the petals of at least two black tulips in strong white vinegar in a glass container just enough liquid to cover the petals and add a pinch of salt. This salt and vinegar creates a weak acid that breaks down and brings out pigments from all kinds of plants.