Alchemy at the Historic Colour Maker's House
on the edge of the Lake District - 017683 53530
Artists Alchemy Experiences
The Artist’s Alchemy Experiences are journeys unravelling culture, heritage, and the wonderment of how humans have coloured their world over the aeons of time.
Step into the historic workshop with its low-beamed ceiling and old range where ancient techniques and modern artistry intertwine under the guidance of the Master Alchemist.
Four immersive workshops, each designed for active participation, invite you to transform raw, natural materials into mesmerising, rich colours, unveiling the secrets and stories hidden within every hue.
Each experience fuses history, philosophy, and hands-on craft as you explore making and using colour through the lens of the four classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
1 - Earth & Mortality | 2 - Crucible of Fire | 3 - Enigma of Elusive Blue & Green | 4 - The Master Alchemist Experience
Alchemy Experience 1
Natural Earth Colours
- From Molehills and Rocks
Delve deep into the earth’s embrace, where time is inscribed in ochres, umbers, and mineral pigments.
Sourced from clay, molehills, and fossilised sand dunes, these hues are living relics—each echoing the enduring tales of ancient landscapes and lost civilisations, connecting you to the historical significance of the materials.
Alchemy Experience 2
Burnt Earths
- Crucible of Fire Experience
Embrace the transformative power of fire, the heart of alchemy.
Here, the searing heat of flames transmutes raw minerals into deep, lustrous hues, from one colour into another.
Changing base materials such as ochres and umbers into a sublime brilliance in this crucible of creation, reminiscent of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Alchemy Experience 3 Enigma of Elusive Blues and Greens
The sky and sea appear blue, yet have no colour. How do we create this illusion? Let’s venture into the rarefied realm of the heavenly.
Uncover the secrets behind nature’s most elusive colours, those vivid blues and greens. Whether extracted from precious gemstones or synthesised through ancient alchemical practices, these pigments evoke the mystery and vastness of the cosmos.
Alchemy Experience 4
The Master Alchemy Experience
Discover the mystical journey from raw material to bright lights and heavenly colours. Witness enigmatic processes - from an age-old pigment crafted with vinegar and horse manure - where decay and renewal perform a delicate ballet, echoing nature’s eternal cycles of transformation and light.
We experiment with various age-old processes using heat and seabird poops to build on the above.
