Vivianite Monotypes
Vivianite, or Blue Ochre as it is commonly known, is a rare natural earth pigment dating back to Roman times. It became highly used in medieval times in paintings and architecture, and its use continued through 18th century Europe. The pigment has been found in the paintings of 17th century Dutch painters, including the great Vermeer, who used it in “The Procuress.” Recent restoration work has found it on the upper layers of the carpet as the blue-grey parts of the weaving, but over the centuries the color has degraded, turning it more brown and losing its natural blue chroma. (Read more about it here.)
Vivianite, a blue-green hydrated iron phosphate mineral, came to my attention almost twenty years ago when I first moved to NYC and I was working for Kremer Pigments. Those years were some of the most important for me as a painter because I learned so much about pigments, binders, their history, and their technical capabilities. The elusive Blue Ochre caught my attention, out of the hundreds of pigments sold at the little Kremer shop on Elizabeth Street, Vivianite was the missing link. I was told that the pigment no longer exists, that it was overmined and for that reason it has become some sort of myth. We had a small sample in a little glass vial, and I was enamoured by its neutral, grey-green-blue quality. A short while later I found a small jar of “Blue Ochre” sold at Soho Art Materials, a place I would end up working for fourteen years. The pigment was more intense and deep, it did not look like the sample we had at Kremer but it was beautiful nonetheless. I have kept that jar of pigment in my studio all these years, it sits on a shelf along with other historic yellow ochres from Spain. I never did find out if this pigment is a genuine Blue Ochre or if it was manufactured, the container never came with labeling or anything to suggest its origin. When I showed it to Dr. Kremer years ago he suggested that it was a pigment fusion, but that a sample needed to be taken to a lab to study it further. That never happened and until this day I remain skeptical about the originality of my jar of pigment. Either way it’s a color that I have not seen before and that I find very beautiful.
Over the years this color has sat on the back of my mind, at times manifesting itself in mixtures for paintings, and most recently as the tone/ground for drawings in the form of Holbein’s Ash Green. I’ve always wanted to work with Blue Ochre but was not sure as to how I could make the main component of one of my works. When it came time earlier this year to come up with a new mixture of color for my new series of monotypes this hue came together quickly. This shade of grey-blue-green finally was ready to become the star.
At the moment I was going through a very hard time in my life, and I intentionally wanted a color that was somber to reflect the way I was feeling. The color needed to be dark, neutral, with a touch of brightness, enough to make it feel melancholic but at the same time hopeful. When working on these new monotypes the color on top of the reddish copper plate sang, while retaining a brooding quality. They felt nocturnal, and as I worked on the plates I could get a scene of walking aimlessly inside these landscapes trying to reach for the light at the far end.
The series continued for a short period with slight variations in size from my previous monotypes. For the first time in years I also worked on a 12 x 18 inch plate, which at the moment I was overwhelmed by its size and time limitation. I would love to give that format another try, but this time I would have to do it when I have more time on the clock.
So far the series has capped at seven prints. To be honest I’m not sure if I would like to continue with this color since my mood has changed for the better and I have moved on to a new format, which I will discuss further in another blog post. Below are six of the small Vivianite prints dating from February to April.
For those of you wondering what the mixture is, here are the colors used (in no specific measurements - only mixed by feel and optics): Cerulean Blue, Raw Umber, Titanium White.
Edge Habitat, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 6 x 8 inches, sheet 8 1/2 x 11 inches
Top Left: Bosque Nocturno I, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 9 x 6 inches, sheet 11 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches
Top Right: Bosque Nocturno III, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 9 x 6 inches, sheet 11 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches
Bottom Left: Bosque Nocturno II, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 8 x 6 inches, sheet 11 x 8 1/2 inches
Bottom Right: Bosque Nocturno IV, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 8 x 6 inches, sheet 11 x 8 1/2 inches
Rain Storm, 2025, monotype on Rives Heavyweight paper, image 6 x 8 inches, sheet 11 x 8 1/2 inches
