quality not quantity
I woke up yesterday morning thinking about my two grams of extracted woad pigment... of the amount of work involved in its production. And, even allowing for the cool wet summer's affect on growth, how disproportionate is the effort to the result.
Later I read this article about Cornish vineyard Camel Valley Wines. The weather knocked out nearly 80% of their grapes but also created circumstances for those remaining being ideal for their sparkling wine 'Cornwall'. So if 'Cornwall' can compete with Champagne (as the vineyard owners believe), then I shouldn't be at all despondent about my measly woad pigment result...
Quality it is then. Not quantity.
. . .
While writing this I've been wondering whether there's a connection between grapes getting extra fizz from the particular circumstances of this year's summer, and the exuberance of foam I got during woad processing, also experienced this year for the first time by Helen Melvin (in North Wales) (see previous post and comments). Is it an omen of the champagne of blues to come?
3 comments:
prehaps you can keep your "champagne" indigotin for a very special project.
Hi Helen (in N Wales)
Too right! Am working on the art right now - it's very special!
Hi Robin (and Helen), Sorry I haven't checked in here for a while. Very interesting work. I've been growing some Japanese Indigo for the first time this summer and so it's interesting to read about your experiences with the 2008 weather. I have nothing with which to compare my results although did some a few years back in a sunnier summer - and recall stronger turquoises. But maybe that's the blue of hindsight!
Isabella
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