If you were to pay a small monthly tuition to join a Living University of Ink what might you want a newsletter that is more than just a newsletter to include or offer? I am evolving The Colour in the next few weeks to include a paid version that feels a bit more useable and collaborative and I am very interested in hearing your ideas, requests and wild dreams.
Fermented nettle/winter watercress green, aged stick lac deep red and found copper/ blueing cube on church window shaped Japanese paper i
As one of my first paid subscribers, or one of my favourite colour colleagues, (or possibly as a member of my family) your thoughts will be a valued part of what I am building. Please do join the discussion below or maybe put heart on someone’s else’s great idea. Jason
Rather than a University of ink (makes me think of one-way knowledge transmission and exams with right and wrong answers) maybe an Ink Collaboratory that focused on building confidence in an ethos of experimentation and discovery? Not sure what this would look like - learning the history of ink and colour would be important as would basic recipes - but then encouraging a community of experimentation?
I would love to get a sample color stain in the mail every so often— I mean via USPS. And I would love the opportunity to buy some of the inks you make.
Feb 19, 2022·edited Feb 19, 2022Liked by Toronto Ink Company
This is a great concept to collaborate about what this can be. You need to maintain editorial control not in a Putin kind of way but more managing the intended spirit and in keeping with the will of the tribe of merry inksters. I’ll be honest as much as I hate to say this - subscription fatigue is a real thing for people. I would pay for access to high res copies of your sketches that I admire or humour me. Print one high res per month included with a subscription, choose from Jason’s gallery. Rob
As I rewatch the video you made regarding the mother who experienced a mass shooting in which her daughter was killed, I realize that ‘idea prompts’ you suggested are appealing to me - making ink as an idea and journeying through materials in exploration, as you said.
So much of our existence revolves around substances made prior to our birth. I find it grounding to going through my own process to discover how to make things I need or just enjoy for living and sharing, rather than reading and copying how humans have previously made what they want.
As someone already said - there are so many subscriptions, patreon etc.
I understand the need to generate income from what you do & wanting interaction / community building.
The range of comments indicates the range of interest & ability to pay.
TBH as an artist, ink maker & community builder living (well) on a small income, I probably wouldn’t pay (any international money transaction also incurs costs).
I love reading about your inspiration, research and exploits - could there be different ways to be involved/connect? EG an exchange (of inspiration, research & exploits?) instead of an exchange of £$€
How about exploring other peoples' colours too? Like Marcel Dzama and the root-beer powder painting group in Winnipeg in the 90s? Or Beam Paints, Indigenous foraged colours from M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island in the right now? Culture, history, and please! So many ink tests. My eyes are thirsty for them after the sea of digital colour...
I love that you get some money toward what you are doing. I love your ramblings, I would love to try making ink. It not in my time restraints at the moment. I would still love to be a part of this community.
On a side note I am a chinese herbalist and am about to send a ink/dye artist in Scotland some Zi Cao to try to get some colour from and some Hong Hua that went out of date for use.
Next question how much and would the money stop the flow ?
'tuition' makes me think of learning goals. I'd love to be able to easily connect and collaborate with people who share similar learning goals - documentation of progress-making, provocative questions, feedback...thank you for asking us!
i would love to have small ink-making kits or kit pieces available. i already have the basics you outline in your book, but think if you could share small pieces of pigment with which i could make ink at home...?
More of what you are already doing as the blend of fact, folklore, creativity, visuals and artistry is so interesting to read. Maybe an occasional video and links if you are so inclined. Thanks again. I’m happy to make a small monthly contribution but would préfère an annual subscription.
lots of gorgeous ink tests to look at, a warm bath for my retinas! I love hearing about the psycho-geography of foraging, provenance and rambling around
I especially enjoyed your newsletter today, Jason, regarding your connection to silver through childhood family experiences and then your experiment to make a silver-colored egg. Every ‘thing’ on Earth has a history/pre-history that can provide meaning for humans. That’s what initially enthused me when I first read your Forager’s Ink book. You were finding color in everything, including cigarette butts, and weren’t limiting yourself to natural plants, fibers, and so on. I would be interested in connecting the making of color with personal meaning, as part of what you are building. Thanks for listening.
Know I am a bit late for the party but I would like to be a part of this community. I really enjoy your weekly ramblings. They are a helpful dose of different kinds of wonderings and images in a quiet sort of way.
What I have found most valuable about your newsletter is your accounts of seeing and experiencing color. I feel transported and invigorated to create and explore. So, more than information, I would find this second tier to be most beneficial if it had that same catalystic, wonderful quality. Perhaps in the form of challenges and show-and-tell? Randomized ink sharing through the mail between participants? Beautiful photography and poetry?
To be honest, I like the way your newsletter already is - writing, images and length. I am not looking for more as I enjoy the voice you create using this current format. I am not looking for something more extensive either. As for recipes, there are plenty in your book already, some that I have tried out and many more to go.
What about a monthly interactive assignment - kind of like a photo club - where you name a material or a colour and everyone can send you their interpretations of the theme and you could post a little gallery of community submissions?
I love the idea, although not working at present, I think I will try it out. I love new recipes I can try and words, descriptions of work. Stories through ink.
I would love to learn more about different practical applications of the ink, but not just on paper. I don't need it all to be sucessful - experiments and failures are useful to me too. I'm using your ink recipes to stain/print/make surface patterns on leather and textiles (for products and art), but I want to screen print with this stuff too. I want to learn / have the opportunity to share all the ways we can use this magical stuff. Paying for individual lessons/corners of creativity would suit me better than a more hefty subscribe-to-all-of-it model. That would also allow you to see which individual areas were more popular and lucrative (otherwise you risk ppl doing the pay-Patreon-for-one-month-and-rinse-all-the-content-and-leave thing). Love your work, it's wonderful.
First, yes I would be interested. The posts are meaningful and contribute a great deal.
I wonder if you have looked at Kristian Brevik's instagram posts (Kbrevik_whalefall) and the zines he sells. They are amazing and would lend themselves to your thinking.
I also think you may want to gather a few academic types and consider an edited journal on inks.
I agree with many of the suggestions below. Would love to get more tips and tricks on altering certain recipes, but also have access to resources. I love the idea of community and collaboration where we can share our experiments, share recipes, ideas and histories.
It sounds like we all want similar things to come out of a paid subscription ie education, kits, recipes, the rambling, community, etc. But maybe what the focus should be on is the “how” and the “how do we keep it going” if we don’t want to run the risks of “does money stop the flow”. I’m not sure how to tackle this but very much open to collab!
I tried to sum up all of these comments here: https://thecolour.substack.com/p/what-kind-of-colour-are-you?utm_source=url.
Recipes?
tools, paper and specialty ink-making supplies.
chemistry, physics, biology, colour theory, history and geology special topics.
super-wierd experiments that I am still trying to figure out
reading lists?
mini-video?
Guest lecturers?
natural colour artists studio tour
colour and ethics
Activities for kids?
ink as a small business
just go back to writing you rambling tales and don't charge me?
round table discussions with experts
please keep the weird and discursive and divergent; build on the community side of things so we can share experiments, images, thoughts and failures
tips & tricks -- variations on basic ink recipes, modifiers, ink as it ages, etc.
Rather than a University of ink (makes me think of one-way knowledge transmission and exams with right and wrong answers) maybe an Ink Collaboratory that focused on building confidence in an ethos of experimentation and discovery? Not sure what this would look like - learning the history of ink and colour would be important as would basic recipes - but then encouraging a community of experimentation?
I would love to get a sample color stain in the mail every so often— I mean via USPS. And I would love the opportunity to buy some of the inks you make.
a summertime show and tell moment for fellow ink makers might be fun?
Colour rambling tales are wonderful
I’d suggest including an interactive format, where we, as subscribers, think and interact rather than just read what you write.
This is a great concept to collaborate about what this can be. You need to maintain editorial control not in a Putin kind of way but more managing the intended spirit and in keeping with the will of the tribe of merry inksters. I’ll be honest as much as I hate to say this - subscription fatigue is a real thing for people. I would pay for access to high res copies of your sketches that I admire or humour me. Print one high res per month included with a subscription, choose from Jason’s gallery. Rob
As I rewatch the video you made regarding the mother who experienced a mass shooting in which her daughter was killed, I realize that ‘idea prompts’ you suggested are appealing to me - making ink as an idea and journeying through materials in exploration, as you said.
So much of our existence revolves around substances made prior to our birth. I find it grounding to going through my own process to discover how to make things I need or just enjoy for living and sharing, rather than reading and copying how humans have previously made what they want.
Your authentic genius has my attention, Jason.
As someone already said - there are so many subscriptions, patreon etc.
I understand the need to generate income from what you do & wanting interaction / community building.
The range of comments indicates the range of interest & ability to pay.
TBH as an artist, ink maker & community builder living (well) on a small income, I probably wouldn’t pay (any international money transaction also incurs costs).
I love reading about your inspiration, research and exploits - could there be different ways to be involved/connect? EG an exchange (of inspiration, research & exploits?) instead of an exchange of £$€
Or contributing in some way ?
Or testing a ‘pay as you feel’ subscription ?
While I’m here 🙏💚🙏 for your book
(and where’s the ink-maker emoji 🤔)
How about exploring other peoples' colours too? Like Marcel Dzama and the root-beer powder painting group in Winnipeg in the 90s? Or Beam Paints, Indigenous foraged colours from M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island in the right now? Culture, history, and please! So many ink tests. My eyes are thirsty for them after the sea of digital colour...
I love that you get some money toward what you are doing. I love your ramblings, I would love to try making ink. It not in my time restraints at the moment. I would still love to be a part of this community.
On a side note I am a chinese herbalist and am about to send a ink/dye artist in Scotland some Zi Cao to try to get some colour from and some Hong Hua that went out of date for use.
Next question how much and would the money stop the flow ?
'tuition' makes me think of learning goals. I'd love to be able to easily connect and collaborate with people who share similar learning goals - documentation of progress-making, provocative questions, feedback...thank you for asking us!
i would love to have small ink-making kits or kit pieces available. i already have the basics you outline in your book, but think if you could share small pieces of pigment with which i could make ink at home...?
More of what you are already doing as the blend of fact, folklore, creativity, visuals and artistry is so interesting to read. Maybe an occasional video and links if you are so inclined. Thanks again. I’m happy to make a small monthly contribution but would préfère an annual subscription.
lots of gorgeous ink tests to look at, a warm bath for my retinas! I love hearing about the psycho-geography of foraging, provenance and rambling around
I especially enjoyed your newsletter today, Jason, regarding your connection to silver through childhood family experiences and then your experiment to make a silver-colored egg. Every ‘thing’ on Earth has a history/pre-history that can provide meaning for humans. That’s what initially enthused me when I first read your Forager’s Ink book. You were finding color in everything, including cigarette butts, and weren’t limiting yourself to natural plants, fibers, and so on. I would be interested in connecting the making of color with personal meaning, as part of what you are building. Thanks for listening.
Know I am a bit late for the party but I would like to be a part of this community. I really enjoy your weekly ramblings. They are a helpful dose of different kinds of wonderings and images in a quiet sort of way.
Place-based stories visualized through maps and historical text would be fascinating! Of course some ink tests to round it all up.
What I have found most valuable about your newsletter is your accounts of seeing and experiencing color. I feel transported and invigorated to create and explore. So, more than information, I would find this second tier to be most beneficial if it had that same catalystic, wonderful quality. Perhaps in the form of challenges and show-and-tell? Randomized ink sharing through the mail between participants? Beautiful photography and poetry?
To be honest, I like the way your newsletter already is - writing, images and length. I am not looking for more as I enjoy the voice you create using this current format. I am not looking for something more extensive either. As for recipes, there are plenty in your book already, some that I have tried out and many more to go.
What about a monthly interactive assignment - kind of like a photo club - where you name a material or a colour and everyone can send you their interpretations of the theme and you could post a little gallery of community submissions?
I love the idea, although not working at present, I think I will try it out. I love new recipes I can try and words, descriptions of work. Stories through ink.
I would love to learn more about different practical applications of the ink, but not just on paper. I don't need it all to be sucessful - experiments and failures are useful to me too. I'm using your ink recipes to stain/print/make surface patterns on leather and textiles (for products and art), but I want to screen print with this stuff too. I want to learn / have the opportunity to share all the ways we can use this magical stuff. Paying for individual lessons/corners of creativity would suit me better than a more hefty subscribe-to-all-of-it model. That would also allow you to see which individual areas were more popular and lucrative (otherwise you risk ppl doing the pay-Patreon-for-one-month-and-rinse-all-the-content-and-leave thing). Love your work, it's wonderful.
First, yes I would be interested. The posts are meaningful and contribute a great deal.
I wonder if you have looked at Kristian Brevik's instagram posts (Kbrevik_whalefall) and the zines he sells. They are amazing and would lend themselves to your thinking.
I also think you may want to gather a few academic types and consider an edited journal on inks.
It's all good and exciting.
I agree with many of the suggestions below. Would love to get more tips and tricks on altering certain recipes, but also have access to resources. I love the idea of community and collaboration where we can share our experiments, share recipes, ideas and histories.
It sounds like we all want similar things to come out of a paid subscription ie education, kits, recipes, the rambling, community, etc. But maybe what the focus should be on is the “how” and the “how do we keep it going” if we don’t want to run the risks of “does money stop the flow”. I’m not sure how to tackle this but very much open to collab!
Color has an emotional impact. As a small child I recall the feeling I had as I colored a yellow space
next to a green area. The colors were simple pure crayons. Most likely a small pack, nothing fancy.
When I taught color to older elementary students I would discuss the vibrations and light waves. There is more to color than meets the eye.
Recipes and detail information on how to make the color ink you show in the photograph would be essential for a paid version
Good to hear!