My name is Elana and I’m natural dyer and visual artist based in Tucson, Arizona making illustrative cut paper collages from naturally dyed papers dyed with local plants. I love the the process of making a collage: I create an intricate drawing and then use tiny scissors and tweezers to piece my work together. My collages reflect my internal world and I often depict mountains, deserts, and canyons as a backdrop to explore concepts most central to me. I also dye silk scarves with plants and do commissioned collages of places and concepts nearest to the hearts of my clients.
NATURALLY DYED SILKS
I dye two collections of silks per year, in the fall, and in the spring, using natural materials foraged from my region such as cochineal. I also use indigo and madder root grown in other places. Each silk has a personality, and no two silks are the same. I only order a set amount of silk per year to keep my footprint small and the silks special.
