Waiho'olu'u Ola : Living Color Dyery (2026)

12/03/2020

A R T I S T T A L K I N V I T A T I O N .

pls join us thursday, March 26 from 6:00pm-8:00pm for our first .

Justin the alchemist + myself the artist humbly invite you to our artist talk this month as we share the story behind our co-creation of Waiho’olu’u Ola the Living Color Dyery; along with our love for the magic of natural dyes +
how our practice of conscious creativity weaves art, alchemy, sust’āinability + conservation together .

we will share our journey of process + passion that connects us to the ʻāina through the art of natural dyes. how we work from plant to pigment on many of our dyes; sourcing pigments locally from wildcrafting, harvesting, growing dyes from seed - the processing of dyes + pattern making through storytelling + visual examples .

along with the joy of sharing the alchemy of natural dyes, will share about our love for mother nature, our beloved Hawai’i Nei and how our art has impacted + been reflected in our simplified, slow and practices .

if you feel called to come listen, learn, share + ask questions please join us at it’s a FREE Potluck event + open to the public! please bring a dish to share + your favorite beverage. if you’ve wanted to connect in the past, share your passion for natural dyes, plant magic or where art, consciousness + conservation come together in your life. PLEASE JOIN US! we hope to see new + familiar faces there. mahalo piha

24/09/2019

indiglowing ♡

still indiglowing after three days of shibori resist + natural dyeing with + it was absolutely wonderful !!! and my minds still blown over all of the amazing discharge dye bath creations made by our class - everyone was so inspiring. still integrating, still learning + so fully nourished from this experience

this class was taught by the talented + hosted by a fellow inspirational maker Helen of - please follow + connect with Helen for upcoming workshops, retreats + master classes with authorities of their crafts in the future, their amazing

**disclaimer: i created the piece iʻm holding, but all the other pieces behind me are created by all the talented students I attended the class with this weekend

13/09/2019

compost colors ⋒

soul excited to announce my first public workshop focused on natural dyes since returning from my 2 week natural dye intensive this summer - Saturday Sept 28th 10am - 4pm
I will be teaching “Colors from your Compost” based on natural dyes found in your home, kitchen, garden or compost, and that can be returned safely back to the earth after use .

In this workshop, students will be introduced concepts essential for natural dyeing; including prepping materials with scouring, processing/extracting dye stuff, using/creating mordants, color modifiers, and experiment with a variety of dye, design + extraction techniques. Students will become familiar with sustainable colors found locally in our kitchen, home and garden - we will focus mainly on locally sourced colors, as well experiment with a variety of special uncommon natural dyes; including cochineal, logwood, madder + butterfly pea to create an elaborate rainbow of natural hues .

this is a great workshop for those interested in natural dyes (begginer - experienced) wanting to learn foundation processes like sourcing, mordanting, modifiers + extracting/creating dyes with varying methods. participants will leave with knowledge, experience + hands on skill to build their understanding of natural dyes in color, methods + extraction as well as beautiful finished including silk scarves and a cotton netted grocery bag .

for more info + to sign up follow link below https://secure.donkeymillartcenter.org/np/clients/donkeymillartcenter/event.jsp?event=1959&

26/06/2019

⋒ a rainbow of natural colors ⋒ .

day four at the Donkey Mill Art Center teaching teens for the Force of Nature program. It was so exciting+ humbling for the opportunity to share + create w/ the phenomenal offering of natural inks| paints created by the talented its been a remarkable journey to share the process of dye making w/local floral/fauna, kitchen compost + medicinal dye plants w/the teens at we were able to extract, coax + co-crate magnificent hues w/local resources; so it was extra special to work w/a rainbow of natural hues created by Maria .

it blew the teens minds to see vibrant + impactful hues produced by botanicals so different from our own. so many colors they questioned on producing were found in Maria’s pallet + sparked so many inspiring + inquisitive conversations. everyone enjoyed learning + practicing the indigenous names of each color, learning their origin, questioning what/how they were used there - we worked on translating the colors names + figuring out what we have locally that maybe comparable or related .

the ability to learn the origins, to see, say + honor plants by their first names + their first relations was extremely powerful. as a place + culture who has also fought so hard to reclaim its language, practices + honor connections - it was potent to create together in a group, saying the original names of these plant relations + trace some of their origins. these lessons are worth learning, sharing + taking to heart. yes, i’m inspired by colors, nature, culture, language, our First Nations relations, by reciprocity + our interconnectedness. and having the ability to learn another’s true name + say it to them, especially in a foreign place or time, I feel honors another so much .

to see another be more than just a “thing” or “it” but be a being w/a history, legacy + a connection rooted deep in a place + people - these are the things that move me, the languages of love I wish to speak, the lessons I hope to learn + share. this is the interconnectedness + reciprocity I hope to breath into the world - through words, actions, plants, color + through co-creation .

this is my prayer, painted w/nature for all of our futures

20/06/2019

a rainbow of compost kitchen colors ⋒

lessons on permeance through fugitive dyes + conversations for the future presented through color

yesterday we dove into colors found in the kitchen - colors made through food waste destined for the compost. it was also lead to a discussion on permanence - how all things change, everything shifts, alters, ages - w/no good things staying the same for always. a reflection on how life imitates art + art imitates life. all the teens also got a kick out of many of these dyes being called fugitive color

teens worked together chopping, cooking + pattern making on organic velvet + cotton in beets (magenta - red), ōlena fresh/dried (yellow - gold), purple cabbage (periwinkle - purple), avocado pits + annatto (peach - dusty orange) + indigo (blue) for over dyes or color layering/building - we also all agreed the velvet looked like shave ice once it was dyed

we also started conversations about ecology, sustainably, stewardship, reciprocity, remembering + resilience, fueled by colors made by nature. we spoke about remembering + preserving traditions that can be used as solutions for current/future issues. we spoke on the importance of water in our work, in our lives + in the health of the world. we reviewed how synthetic dyes contribute to major environmental issues + how color, especially indigo is deeply seeded into our collective history, through movements, actions + traumas. this is fun work, but it’s also so very important + necessary .

I hope + pray that these concepts make a mark + color/dye a place in their minds/hearts; reminding them that they’re forces of nature who have the ability to be a force to protect + persevere nature. if there’s anything that I share w/the teens this week, I hope its that prayer that they hold onto + remember. today we talked about how they’re are inheriting the earth + that are many of us who are doing all we can in big + small ways to protect her + their futures with what we do, how we protect + how we persevere through acts of reciprocity to the land. we’re working together collectively + individually to color them a beautiful future .

18/06/2019

Force of Nature | Teen Summer Art Experience at Donkey Mill Art Center | week two, featuring ‘resist patterning making + naturals dyes’ with me 🙋🏻‍♀️ .

so extremely humbled, ecstatic + appreciate for the opportunity to share my love for natural dyes, placed based colors + pattern making with a fun, engaged + great group of teens all week long at the in magical Holualoa .

today we kicked off the week learning some foundational shibori patterns + their histories, along with with some tie-dye classic + modern designs done in indigo. we also started the process of plant to pigment extraction with local indigo growing in DMAC’s garden. we picked handfuls of leaves + talked about plant identification, invasive species, proper plant cultivation, indigo’s history in Hawai’i + indigos beautiful, tragic + potent place in our collective world history .

we also reviewed various types of indigo vats, what creates them, colors that are achieved + tried some tasty fructose sugar. we also talked about different reducing agents, how color is set/extracted + the always comical use of urine or shishi in natural dyes .

being able to share the art of natural dyes + watching others be captivated or fall in love with them is truly a blessing. for us seeing the excitement + shift in dialogue, ideas + sustainable concepts becoming real + tangle for others is one of our main motivators. yes, dyes make beautiful art + are equally amazing in their stories + we appreciate who they are + how they are created/cultivated - that is a motivator + soul purpose in itself. yet watching others open to the possibilities + magic of natural dyes + all the slow processes, cultivation + ideals that go hand in hand, holds a super special place of hope in my heart + soul. It’s my dream that each person, especially our youths open their minds, hearts + actions to the idea of natural, sustainable, conscious + compassionate creating for the future - using what’s in nature to be a force of nature in the journey of co-creating together with reciprocity + aloha

16/06/2019

fire. earth. water. air.

fire + water to coax color from plants made of the earth, and air to oxide dyes + breath life into fire - all elements co-creating to make natural dyes ⋒ .

it was truly phenomenal to learning about a whole new eco-system + bio-region of color w/Venna Spirit Weavers Gathering seeing bark, berries, branches, redwood resin + mushroom spore goo turned into natural dye in pots on an open fire has been one of the most inspiring + fulfilling moments in my life + journey of coaxing color .

watching our kumu Venna explain these plants all so foreign to me was truly special - to learn about the beautiful Osage bark that produces a potent golden yellow hue that I immediately feel in love with; is native to the lands of my grandmother + home to the land of my love, who was raised in OK, next to The Osage Nation, a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains. The Osage people refer to themselves in their indigenous Dhegihan Siouan language Wazhazhe, or "Mid-waters .

this info is potent + essential to me in learning about dyes. to learn about plants, places + the connection to their indigenous people is vital in truly honoring + understanding a dye based in nature. these stories all go hand + hand in persevering color/stories. the lineages of dyes + what produces them (flora/fauna/insect/etc) is just as important if not more important than the colors. the colors are a special momento in part of preserving the story of these dyes - they aren’t the whole story, but they’re one beautiful part of its lineage .

the lineage of color + what it is before it becomes dye, its relation to place + people, it’s folklore, it’s medicine, it’s journey + all those who discovered/coaxed its color before us, those are the stories I hope to “capture”, I hope to learn, I hope to dye into my being so that I can color my world inside + out with the tales of plants, of people, of color + how they’re all related. how they came together + how they co-created ♡

27/05/2019

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.”
- Eleonora Duse

yesterday all natural indigo workshop was an absolute joy! we were so honored + humbled to create with such fun, creative + inspirational co-creators. my heart + spirit are so nourished + happy after an afternoon in the vats watching others fall in love with indigo for the first time or to be impressed + inspired by all natural natural + all it’s possibility - one of the magic things of natural dyes is to see others become entranced by the possibility of what the natural world can do + welcoming in the prospect of working with more safe, sustainable + natural mediums. creating more opportunities + possibilities for conscious + earth safe creativity.

thankful for all those who joined us, those who inquired + for the amazing Kona Coffee and Tea ʻohana for hosting us with so much aloha at such a beautiful location. this was our last open indigo workshop for the summer of Hawai’i island but please stay posted for more open indigo workshop at the end of year - for open summer workshop inter island this summer - were also super exited for new natural dye color + techniques workshop offerings will be rolling out this fall for Winter 2019 - Spring/Summer 2020 .

mahalo mahalo mahalo for all the support + to everyone whose made this journey possible with supportive words + actions, for opportunities, commissions + lots + lots of aloha. thanks for making this dream our reality ♡

22/05/2019

“the sun is up, the sky is blue it’s beautiful and so are you” - The Beatles

aloha everyone, we are excited to announce there are a few remaining seats for our upcoming Natural Indigo Dye Workshop this Saturday May 25th 1-4pm at Kona Coffee and Tea ROASTERY, located at the top of Hualalai Road for this amazing hand’s on workshop.
We’re so excited and humbled to be the first workshop to be hosted at their beautiful Roastery; and will be our only public workshops this summer and until the end of the year - if you’ve been wanting to dive into indigo with us, this is an amazing opportunity and we hope if anyone has felt called, please join us.

Each participant will also be allowed 1-3 personal garments to dip n dye. Spaces are limited, get your tickets today, link in bio and available at

11/04/2019

humbled + excited to announce another dip + dye workshop in my hometown of Pahoa this Sat 13th 10am - 2pm at the 4th annual ‘Tropical Living Festival’ celebrating community, culture, environment at the HAAS campus .

join us for our ‘dip + dye’ a mini demo/workshop! bring your own fiber + dye it in our natural indigo dye vat. repurpose old items, brighten up lackluster pieces, cover stains, or use new items to create something original and new. will provide the instruction, needed tools, indigo + fun!

this dip + dye is a sampler + perfect for those who are interested in natural dye, indigo dye + just wanting a taste of the magic + alchemy of indigo blue. this will be a sample session of what our workshops - not a in-depth full workshop, just a taste. where participants will walk away w/the basic knowledge + process of indigo dye + a finished garment they dye themselves!

dip + dye restrictions include; 1-3 small items per person. dip items MUST BE all natural fabric (cotton, linen, h**p, silk) pre-washed + small/light in structure; i.e. t-shirt, onesies, cami, tea towel, scarf or bandana - no towels, coats, bedding, wool, heavy or thick items .

for anyone whose been interested in indigo + joining us in the vats, but hasn’t been able to join us due to location/cost this is a great opportunity to “dip your toes” + fingers into indigo 💙💙💙

pic: checking indigo pigment in our 35 gallon fructose vat

Waiho'olu'u Ola : Living Color Dyery

12/03/2020

24/09/2019

13/09/2019

26/06/2019

20/06/2019

18/06/2019

16/06/2019

27/05/2019

22/05/2019

11/04/2019

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