Dahlia “Tea” Ink

“A flower blossoms for its own joy.” — Oscar Wilde

I made it my goal to grow as many flowers as I could this year! We grew zinnias, gigantic sunflowers, cockscomb and one prolific dahlia that decided to bloom in October.

Dahlias are gorgeous flowers but one of my least favorite to draw - there are too many petals!

Once I saw these vibrant blooms in the corner of my yard, I knew I wanted to try to make ink with them!

Many botanicals, no matter how vibrant, will eventually create a yellow ink when simmered in the traditional way. I did some digging and learned about a process of ink making where the petals are steeped in tea instead of simmered in a pot of water. This method tends to preserve the bright coloring of the petals without boiling the color out of it.

So, that is exactly what I did! I steeped a handful of dahlia petals in a teacup of hot water for an evening hoping to achieve an interesting and bright color.

Instead, I got:

I can still find a use for this golden yellow color in my film. But, I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t retain the beautiful purple-red of the dahlia! I am hoping to try this experiment again next year when I replant this dahlia’s tubers which are currently stored for the winter.