What Is Ocher?

it is a pigment,

 and is the oldest known natural pigment in the world, as yet there is no complete collection of them, but Washington-based artist and researcher Heidi Gustafson aims to make a start of cataloging as many as she and helpers worldwide can collect, above medicinal and industrial ochres being processed and archived, Greece, all images: Heidi Gustafson,

she forages, processes, and catalogs natural mineral samples for the Early Futures Ocher Archive, above a look at the orcher archive,

 and it is a hands on experience, gathering orange ochre, Oregon, USA.

 pigment studies, Left – foraged pigments from northern Washington, USA, Right- foraged pigments from Hormuz, Iran, with over 550 samples, Gustafson’s ever-growing archive has become a collaborative project with contributions from archaeologists, scientists, and creatives from around the world, 

 as each sample enters the collection, it is labeled with a corresponding number, in a notebook, above gathering blue ochre, with artist Scott Sutton, Oregon, USA.

 Gustafson records where the ochre is from, who sourced or collected it, any historic or contemporary uses, and other relevant information. Gustafson grinds the iron-rich ochre into pigments, which she sells to artists and also uses for her own work. Processed samples are added to glass vials and organized by region or dominate mineral type, above ochre contributions, gathered by Caro Ross, England,

 gathering yellow ochre, Arizona, USA, the archive was officially formed in 2017 when Gustafson relocated to the Pacific Northwest, 

pigment study, red ochre, world-wide, the good news that you can join Heidi on foraging trips, and for updates on the archive, you can follow Heidi Gustafson on Instagram, to shop for pigment sets and other products from the project or to contribute samples of your own, visit the Early Futures website.