Fuchsia Ink Recipe - Pokeberry
The fuchsia ink is derived from the Pokeberry weed. It has been found in Astoria's overgrown front gardens and neglected back driveways. The first time I picked it up, my hands were hilariously covered in bright pink berry juice, making me look like a murderer with two embarrassed little boys. Trespassing with the best of them, we have met the occupants or passersby, making acquaintances. People find it pretty odd that someone would be interested in their weeds and are always curious about what I’m going to do with said weed-berries. Maybe a week after meeting them, I placed “thank you for letting me take your berries and not calling the cops” paintings on their doorsteps as genuine expressions of gratitude & so they could see how they were used. Pokeberry has been beautiful, fun, and weird. It seems to react differently to (what I'm guessing) the different ph balances in the paper and different varnishes, becoming more pink or brown.
To create Pokeberry ink, you should first identify the plant. It is easy to recognize with its linear, deep purple berry clusters and hot pink stem. Once you spot one, there are likely more nearby if you need additional berries. Pokeberry is a great plant because it blooms from May to October and provides a steady supply of ink. It also has a subtle but noticeable aroma. Once, while driving with the windows down near Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, I smelled the plant quite strongly and when I looked out my window, I saw a whole hill covered in them.
Materials:
Pokeberries (around 4 cups, but less is ok too)
Cloves
Bottle, with tight fitting lid or I just use old kombucha bottles
Once you pick around 4 cups of berries, mash them with gloved hands or a potato masher, whatever works. Strain the berries through a fine mesh strainer. If you want to go for the gold and want ink with fewer particles, strain it through a coffee filter inside a funnel into the bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Add a bit of gum Arabic at a time to gradually to adjust the ink’s fluidity. To prevent the formation of bacteria, add one or two cloves to preserve the ink. Store ink in the refrigerator for up to one year.
When you initially paint with the ink, it appears as a bright fuchsia color. However, the final shade can vary from fuchsia to dark purple, depending on factors such as the type of paper, age of ink, and type of varnish used. If you choose not to preserve it with a fixative or varnish, the artwork will evolve over time, making it a living and dynamic piece of art.