Discovering New Colors with Latin American Insects
An artist in Connecticut is using a unique technique to create art, utilizing dye from cochineal insects to discover new colors.
Mexican artist María Vargas led an art workshop in Stonington, where she taught participants how to use the dye from these insects as a tool for artistic expression.
The cochineal insects, also known as "grana cochinillas", are tiny, round scale insects native to subtropical Central and South America, typically found on the nopal or prickly pear cactus.
“My goal with this workshop was to teach about a natural material that comes from an insect and how it is very sensitive to different conditions,”
Vargas said, adding that this sensibility brings out the most intense colors.
Author's summary: Artist uses insect dye for unique colors.