I know I have said this many times before, but yikes, this session is really overdue. In September of last year, I had the pleasure of driving down to the southern part of the island to photograph the artist behind Petals and Pigments, Wai'ala. Then, just a few days after our shoot, I had a month-long trip home to Minnesota, followed by a whirlwind few last months of 2021 and starting a new job in 2022. But, I'm finally through editing the images from our session and ready to share this amazing day with you all! Because of the number of photos I took, I will break this up into two parts, starting with the flower gathering and bundle dyes!

Petals and Pigments

Gardener picks orange zinnias from her forest garden.

Wai’ala’s homestead (Misty Mountain Homestead) is at roughly 4,500 feet elevation on the cool, misty slopes of Mauna Loa. I hadn't spent any time in that area before our shoot, and it really is a magical place up there. The land surrounding their home is filled with garden beds with all sorts of flowers growing. Because of the elevation and resulting cooler temperatures, they can grow many things that we would not be able to at our place right near sea level. It was a special treat being surrounded by flowers that my mom used to have all over her gardens in the spring and summer in Minnesota.

Gardener picks zinnias from her misty garden.

The session started off by walking through her raised garden beds while she cut stems, and we talked story about their little homestead, family, and plants in general. It misted on and off with the sun popping out here and there. Wai'ala has so much knowledge and experience to share; it was absolutely incredible. Hearing her story and all of the ways that she has expanded her knowledge was fascinating and inspiring.

Even though they have a wide variety of plants, the bulk of their flowers is dahlias. One thing that stuck with me is that if you plant a dahlia from seed, it will be a variety that has never existed before. So you are creating an entirely new dahlia variety that way, which is so cool!

There were so many different colors, shapes, and textures in the dahlias just in her gardens. It hardly seems like some of these could be the same type of plant. And to think that they will constantly be changing there as they collect and plant their seeds!

Flower farmer in her garden collecting dahlias..

Colorful dahlias and flowers fill a basket.

After she completely filled her large basket, we headed inside so that she could show me the botanical bundle dye process. Their little cottage is quaint, homey, and somehow oozes love. I was obsessed with all the little details around the room as well as the light by the big farmhouse sink. Plus, her husband collects glass bottles like me, so I had to document some of his collection!

Hands squeeze out fabric over a white farmhouse sink.

Woman at her kitchen sink preparing white fabric.

Random collections stored on a rustic shelf.

Antique glass bottles on a kitchen counter.

Wai'ala already had everything prepped and ready for the bundle dye, so she could jump right in and show me the process. Bundle dyeing is essentially the process of imprinting flowers and such onto a cloth. You first have to prep the fabric, which can be done differently depending on the materials. Her fabric had been soaking in vinegar before I arrived, which helps hold the color in. She then laid out the material on her island and picked petals from flowers, scattering them on the silk square.

Woman puts petals down on fabric in her kitchen.

Orange flower sits on a butcher block counter.

Female artist works on a botanical bundle dye.

Artist works on a botanical bundle dye in her kitchen.

A woman puts petals down on silk for a botanical bundle dye.

An artist places petals on silk for a botanical bundle dye.

Beyond fresh flowers and petals, other materials can also be used for bundle dyeing. Wai'ala had a handful of different powders to sprinkle on, including indigo and cochineal extract (which is made from a bug), as well as onion skins and dried rose petals.

Colorful petals and powdered botanical dye on silk fabric.

An artist uses a flower stem to apply cochineal extract to a bundle dye.

Onion skins in a jar for use in a bundle dye.

Woman pulls botanical dyes out of her storage box for a bundle dye.

Once all the dye materials are down, the fabric gets tightly rolled and wrapped into a bundle. Wai'ala also squeezed lime juice over the fabric to shift the color slightly and help make it more vibrant as well.

A woman rolls up a botanical bundle dye.

Lastly, the bundle of fabric is placed in a steamer. The bundles steam for a few hours to absorb all the color into the fabric. While we waited, Wai'ala's adorable son came to participate! He was fascinated by the flowers and very much wanted to help add water to the pot as it ran low.

A steamer and kettle sit on a white stove in a cozy homestead.

Female artist creates in her kitchen with her infant son.

Finally, after a few hours of steaming away, the bundles were ready to unwrap! We unwrapped them and shook all the petals and onion skins off, revealing stunning colors and texture. Wai'ala told me that I could rinse it right away or wait to rinse it, which would allow the colors to be a bit darker and richer. I opted to wait, and the resulting color is a deep, warm yellow that brightens up my office space.

A female artist unwraps a botanical bundle dye.

A Hawaiian artist unwraps a botanical bundle dye.

A woman shakes out a botanical bundle dye.

After the bundle dyes were wrapped up, we focused on the indigo process! Be sure to subscribe so that you can check out part two, detailing that.