GREEN

GREEN

The word ‘green’ comes from the same Germanic word stem as the words ‘grass’ and ‘grow’.

Green is known to be the color that is abundant in nature, due to the presence of chlorophyll. This substance helps plants to convert sunlight into energy. Quite a few animals have adapted to their environment over time and have thus developed a green color as camouflage. Therefore, green is the color that we associate most with nature. Natural sources, which can produce green color schemes are for example:

Artichoke, Black-eyed Susan, Chamomile Leaves, Coneflower, Foxglove, Grass, Larkspur, Lilac Bloom, Lily of the Valley, Mint, Nettle, Pigweed, Plantain Roots, Red Pine Needles, Snapdragon, Sorrel, Spinach, Tarragon ...

Furthemore, green is associated with youth and jealousy. It is the color of hope, probably because we associate green with spring, fertility and life.

We also experience green with fresh and sour flavors because unripe fruit or sour fruit is often greenish.

Natural green dye can be derived from a lot of fruits and plants.

Different shades of green, which can be intensified by extending the soaking time, can be created with the help of spinach.

STEP1 Take one handful of fresh spinach. Boil 500 milliliter of water and add the prepared spinach. Let the water cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Afterwards, strain and blend the cooked spinach with the help of a blender. The longer the beetroot will cook, the stronger will the color be.

The spinach blend can either be mixed into the “Emulsified Oils” tanning mixture or after the tanning process into the animal fat, which is used to maintain the leather’s softness.

A) SOAKING TECHNIQUE Mix one tablespoon spinach blend into the tanning lotion, which contains one egg yolk and two tablespoons of oil. Make sure the spinach blend is well mixed with the tanning lotion for an even finish. Lay the clean fish skin evenly into the mixture and let it soak. Afterwards, wash out the fish skin and let it dry.

PREP TIME: 30 MINS | APPLY TIME: 5 MINS to 24 HRS | DRY TIME: around 3 to 4 HRS STEP2 Mix one tablespoon of spinach blend into the tanning lotion or into the animal fat, which is applied onto the skin before drying. The dye can be applied in two different ways onto the fish skin. Color Intensity 5 Minutes : Low 3 Hours : Medium 24 Hours : High B) MASSAGING TECHNIQUE Mix one tablespoon of the spinach blend into the animal fat, which will be massaged into the fish skin after the tanning process. Massage until almost dry. The more spinach blend is used, the more intense is the dye outcome.

INGREDIENTS

This natural color recipe is suitable to dye one piece of fish skin (10x15 cm).

A handful of fresh spinach

500 ML boiling water

A) 1 egg yolk + 2 TBSP sunflower oil