Lucila Kenny

27/12/2024

Last days to join these lovely learning groups!

Elements of Natural Color: a more scientific exploration on plant dyes and pigments

~ 4 online gatherings January 2025 ~

If you’re aiming to emphasize on the technical, scientific and alchemical aspects of working with and cultivating plant dyes and pigments to make paint for printing; during these gatherings you can learn about the scientific dimensions of color.

Some of these chemical, biological and artistic research questions will be answered and developed together:

- Which painting plants have a relatively large yield of dye, and are therefore suited for use on a larger scale?

- How can waste of the food industry be used to extract natural dye?

- Which applications of dye plants are of interest for society?

- Which binders are best suited for different printing techniques and to what extent does this depend on the used colourants/pigments?

- Which extraction methods are (per plants) most beneficial to obtain as much dye as possible?

- Which techniques (like changing the pH) are there to influence the intensity of natural colourants?

- What is the function of colourants (for instance, in the roots of) plants?

- Why does the amount of colourant in plants change over time?

- How do the surroundings (soil, other plants) influence the creation of colourants in the plant?

- What is the chemical background of the change of natural colourants, by adding tannin or another natural flux material, as opposed to metal salts?

- How does the harvesting method influence the quality of the extracted colourants?

-Are there factors during the extraction process that influence the nuance of the final colourant?

Dates: January 10, 17, 24, 31

Time: 18:00 - 19:30 (Central European Time) - please make sure which will be your time zone.

Link to join www.lucilakenny.com/shop
for more info please email to: [email protected]

Blessings 🌿

03/12/2024

Elements of Natural Color: a more scientific exploration on plant dyes and pigments

~ 4 online gatherings January 2025 ~

If you’re aiming to emphasize on the technical, scientific and alchemical aspects of working with and cultivating plant dyes and pigments to make paint for printing; during these gatherings you can learn about the scientific dimensions of color.

Some of these chemical, biological and artistic research questions will be answered and developed together:

- Which painting plants have a relatively large yield of dye, and are therefore suited for use on a larger scale?

- How can waste of the food industry be used to extract natural dye?

- Which applications of dye plants are of interest for society?

- Which binders are best suited for different printing techniques and to what extent does this depend on the used colourants/pigments?

- Which extraction methods are (per plants) most beneficial to obtain as much dye as possible?

- Which techniques (like changing the pH) are there to influence the intensity of natural colourants?

- What is the function of colourants (for instance, in the roots of) plants?

- Why does the amount of colourant in plants change over time?

- How do the surroundings (soil, other plants) influence the creation of colourants in the plant?

- What is the chemical background of the change of natural colourants, by adding tannin or another natural flux material, as opposed to metal salts?

- How does the harvesting method influence the quality of the extracted colourants?

-Are there factors during the extraction process that influence the nuance of the final colourant?

Dates: January 10, 17, 24, 31

Time: 18:00 - 19:30 (Central European Time) - please make sure which will be your time zone.

Link to join www.lucilakenny.com/shop
for more info please email to: [email protected]

Blessings 🌿

11/11/2024

Reciprocidad = Sabiduría (AYNI)

Un grupo de 16 mujeres autodenominadas WARMI (mujer que sabe hacer..muchas cosas! en Quechua) se reúnen en su comunidad campesina K’acllaraccay (Moray, Valle Sagrado, Los Andes, Perú) a investigar, experimentar, hilar, tejer, teñir sus fibras utilizando plantas con el deseo de mantener viva esa relación ancestral con los textiles y nos comparten todo este conocimiento a través de sus prácticas, presentaciones, productos e historias de vida.
Afortunadamente hoy me toca compartir tiempo con ellas para poder ir haciéndonos amigas, desarrollando esa confianza mutua y así, con mucho cariño y respeto intercambiar nuestras experiencias de vida relacionadas con los distintos ecosistemas donde vivimos, con la magia del color, la alquimia y los rituales relacionados con la producción de tintes naturales y medicina.

Hoy en nuestro segundo encuentro nos reunimos algunas a cocinar, beber chicha, hilar (Pushka) y conocer más sobre las plantas que utilizan, sus métodos de trabajo y las posibilidades de extender la paleta de colores. Luego de conversar con ellas sobre esta oportunidad que nos da la vida para intercambiar nos gustaría focalizarnos en la experimentación con otras plantas y mordientes.
Iré compartiendo bastante ya que este proyecto me llena el alma.

Principalmente quiero agradecer a Mila que con mucho entusiasmo y amor me conecto con Vero Tabja.
Gracias a Mater Iniciativa que me invita y confían en este hermoso intercambio.

05/09/2024

Lovely gatherings coming up in October!
Are you wishing to learn, experiment and develop by yourself but having a weekly support and guidance?
Please have a look,

much love
Lu

16/08/2024

NEW RELATIONSHIPS (online) Thursday's September

Dates: September 5, 12, 19, 26 - small groups (min 4 - max 7)
Time: 20:00 - 21:30 (Central European Summer Time) - please make sure which will be your time zone.

Link to info: www.lucilakenny.com/shop

For centuries, plants have been picked, raised and processed for nourishment, embellishment and healing. It seems that on every part of the world where humans have lived we can find a body of knowledge based on the powers of herbs, roots and flowers. This unique relationship between plants and people still remains in our ancestral memory waiting to be rediscovered. Such a quest will take us from the world of materials to a symbolic realm, where chemistry becomes alchemy, and colors manifest their powerful connection to the earth.

The use of plants for dyes is well-known. By drying, grinding, soaking and heating, plants are transmuted into pigments that will then be used to enrich people's lives through the decoration of fibers, leather, fabrics, crafts, hair and even their bodies. But plants also possess a variety of curative properties. In a way, the colors obtained from the processing of these raw materials retain those healing attributes, moving from the material and chromatic dimension through a gateway that lead us to rediscover a forgotten traditional knowledge.

31/07/2024

Dates: August 8, 15, 22, 29 - Online weekly (small) group gatherings to learn and explore Natural Colour.

Time: 20:00 - 21:30 (Central European Summer Time) - please make sure which will be your time zone.

— If instead of Paypal you wish to make the payment via Bank Transfer: please email [email protected] for details. —

Learning from plants to find the richness inside ourselves.

If you are longing for re-discovering what’s inside yourself and how through these conscious observations you can strengthen your thoughts in order to create a better reality, you are very welcomed to join weekly online gatherings; a space to share our developments and questions on a new relationship with plants and their hidden colors.

www.lucilakenny.com

[email protected]

much love 🌿

06/07/2024

NEW RELATIONSHIPS AUGUST
4 online gatherings (small groups)
Thursday’s 20:00 - 21:30 (CEST)

For centuries, plants have been picked, raised and processed for nourishment, embellishment and healing. It seems that in every part of the world where humans have lived we can find a body of knowledge based on the powers of herbs, roots and flowers. This unique relationship between plants and people still remains in our ancestral memory waiting to be rediscovered. Such a quest will take us from the world of materials to a symbolic realm, where chemistry becomes alchemy, and colors manifest their powerful connection to the earth.

The use of plants for dyes is well-known. By drying, grinding, soaking and heating, plants are transmuted into dyes & pigments that will then be used to enrich people’s lives through the decoration of fibers, leather, fabrics, crafts, hair and even their bodies. But plants also possess a variety of curative properties. In a way, the colors obtained from the processing of these raw materials retain those healing attributes, moving from the material and chromatic dimension through a gateway that leads us to rediscover a forgotten traditional knowledge.

Join small online groups to learn, explore and re-discover your own relationship with plants and colours.

Information: www.lucilakenny.com
please email: [email protected]

19/06/2024

In search of full connection with my South American blood brought me back to Perú. Back but forward - as a step towards exploring new ways of living, where I deeply believe that humbleness and simplicity are the qualities that allow us to evolve as human beings.
For the coming year I’ll be around this region learning how to BE in a place by connecting with locals, eating the food that grows in the direct surrounding, making colour and music inspired by the feeling of belonging but most of all engaging with the LAND. There’s an urgency to learn and experience more about the cultivation of edible and medicinal plants and different natural building methods.
The personal relationship I have built with the process of transforming plants into colours is fully integrated in this path, so I will keep connected to that and will find new ways of learning, of sharing and exchanging the knowledge gained during the last 12 years of my life + the new experiences.

For the coming months I’ll be in Pisac (2972 meters above sea level, in the Andes) living in a lovely community where a local family that we love so much opens their space to host people. These houses made of stone and clay are located just under the archaeological site where the Inca ruins were built by emperor Pachacutec during the 15th century. Very impressive and highly energetic.

To be able to finance this life here I organize the online gatherings “New Relationships”, a weekly meeting where we learn in groups and develop together personal interests, or personal projects with different approaches to natural colour. Please connect with me if you are working on a specific project and would like some guidance; [email protected]
www.lucilakenny.com

Much love to all the community here
Aguante!

17/06/2024

GATHERINGS IN JULY
NEW RELATIONSHIPS is a series of ONLINE GATHERINGS intended to explore the chromatic natural world by yourself, at home, in your immediate surrounding during 4 weeks, but with the support of a group who is experiencing similar processes and guided by my knowledge (experience), technical information, research/examples, bibliography.
After many years of teaching I have come to the point where I realize how important it is to learn by yourself and trust your own decisions, and explore through your intuition, and discover things your own way. This method of learning gives us the strength and the trust we need in order to activate all our senses and understand more about the living processes as much as we can. Everything is already there, we have to learn how to observe and interact; when we interact with each other we experience, and when we experience we learn.
The relationship with natural colours is not about reading books or scientific information (only) or achieving beautiful bright colours which will last forever; nothing lasts forever, so: working & dialoguing with plants is about connecting because we are part of the natural world.
These sessions are for everyone. Whatever you like to do in your life, you don't have to be an artist, or be a textile designer, or, or ,,,you only have to be motivated and curious and spend time experimenting; dedicate your time to these interactions with the surrounding. Learn to become IN-DEPENDANT (depend on our inner self)
All the information is here: www.lucilakenny.com/shop
- Note: if you don't use paypal please write me for more details : [email protected]
much love to all !

01/06/2024

GATHERINGS IN JULY

NEW RELATIONSHIPS is a series of ONLINE GATHERINGS intended to explore the chromatic natural world by yourself, at home, in your immediate surrounding during 4 weeks, but with the support of a group who is experiencing similar processes and guided by my knowledge (experience), technical information, research/examples, bibliography.
After many years of teaching I have come to the point where I realize how important it is to learn by yourself and trust your own decisions, and explore through your intuition, and discover things your own way. This method of learning gives us the strength and the trust we need in order to activate all our senses and understand more about the living processes as much as we can. Everything is already there, we have to learn how to observe and interact; when we interact with each other we experience, and when we experience we learn.
The relationship with natural colours is not about reading books or scientific information (only) or achieving beautiful bright colours which will last forever; nothing lasts forever, so: working & dialoguing with plants is about connecting because we are part of the natural world.

These sessions are for everyone. Whatever you like to do in your life, you don't have to be an artist, or be a textile designer, or, or ,,,you only have to be motivated and curious and spend time experimenting; dedicate your time to these interactions with the surrounding. Learn to become IN-DEPENDANT (depend on our inner self)

All the information is here: www.lucilakenny.com/shop
- Note: if you don't use paypal please write me for more details : [email protected]

much love to all !

11/05/2024

BERLIN !
Mapping Neukölln / May 18 + 19 / walk + lab at WIR WIR

Acknowledging, observing and learning to understand more about what is around us provides meaning to this life and everything that is here now exists, has energy and a reason to be.
Mapping a place represents: the walks, encounters, observations, we can try to create a bond with the place and feel part of it for a while. We observe the seasonal nature and its natural growth and exchange.

We can learn from this connection.

Using remains of natural material from the previous seasons we will investigate and find those hidden colours.

~ What is colour?
~ Where does natural colour come from?
~ How can we look at our surroundings in a new way?

We will walk around the neighbourhood to recognize the flora growing at this time of the year

We will harvest small amounts of plant material for colour extraction and we will make ink from them.

Link to join in the website: www.lucilakenny.com/shop

Please if you have any questions get in contact: [email protected]

May 18 + 19 - Time: 16:00 - 18:30 - all materials are included
Address: Stuttgarter Str. 56 , 12059 , Berlin

Photos: April Gertler, Kun Liang

03/05/2024

We start next week!
Would like to join us?
Please visit the link > http://www.lucilakenny.com/shop/sjcp4xjgtnvivc73mpm051lf6wib2v
🌿

19/04/2024

>>> STARTING IN MAY

30/03/2024

BOOK LAUNCH

We wish you can join us on APRIL 4th between 20:00 and 22:00 pm for our book launch!
Flower, fruit, leaf, husk and root: experiments in growing colour

20:30pm - Introduction and conversation together with Alex Walker and Barbara Colle.
San Serriffe
Sint Annenstraat 30, 1012HE, Amsterdam

This book is published by Mumbling Matter in 2024.
Printed in a limited edition of 200 copies with screen-printed covers made with plant-based inks.

Big thanks to all of you who have already ordered a copy! books will be sent during the first week of April.

29/03/2024

We'd like to share our new book: flower, fruit, leaf, husk and root, experiments in growing colour
Naan Rijks has been cultivating dye plants in Amsterdam since 2011 and I joined her in 2017. This publication documents our collaboration through conversations, photographs of artworks, the studio, gardening activities, and recipes to share our knowledge and inspire curiosity. We wish to learn more about colour and about life.

Designed & published in 2024 by Alex Walker as part of his project 'Mumbling Matter'.
Barbara Collé has transcribed the conversations between all of us highlighting meaningful reflections and understandings in a beautiful way through the dialogues.
Covers are screen printed together with Brent Dahl and we used plant based paint. This book is printed in a limited run of 200 copies.

The link to get a copy is this: http://www.lucilakenny.com/store/book
~Book's will be shipped during the first week of April ~
To purchase via bank transfer please contact me: [email protected]

and thank you very very much for your support!
much love,
Lucila

16/02/2024

With deep emotion, today I want to share with all of you here, with the universe, the most (personally) profound project I was part of.
It’s about life and ways of relating with each other and how we have learned that by building loving relationships we can shift our lives.

flower, fruit, leaf, husk and root: experiments in growing colour
is a publication about years of friendship, research, evolution, wisdom and life learnings between Naan Rijks, myself and all the species of plants we have been cultivating over the years.

This book came to life thanks to Alex Walker.
Alex; I can’t stop thanking you, it has been a great pleasure to work on this together. Gracias totales!
Published in 2024 as part of Alex’s project ‘Mumbling Matter’

Beloved friend Barbara Collé has transcribed hours of conversations between us highlighting the most meaningful reflections and understandings in emotional and fun texts.

This book will be launched in Amsterdam sometime in April (will announce soon!) and you will be able to get a copy very soon, yeah!

Thank you to everyone who has been witnessing and collaborating with us since 2017.
Family friends and colleagues all my love, les amo mucho 💚