Welcome to the School of Nomad Arts, where I share my knowledge of leaf printing, eucalyptus dyes and botanical alchemy, garment cutting, mending and stitching, paper-folding, bookbinding and a little poetry … a life practice rooted in sustainability
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where, if you wish, you can join me while wearing your pyjamas and sailing your armchair on a voyage of learning and discovery.
My name is India Flint , maker, mender, author and the originator of the eucalyptus ecoprint* . Those blue hands up there are mine.
I am gradually building the art school I dreamed of attending when I was young. Not in bricks and mortar, but in the clouds.
Once enrolled, the courses are yours for life...like a good book, but with moving images and with someone who will answer your questions. Learn how to print leaves on cloth, how to make clothes that are both beautiful and comfortable, how to launder them sustainably and mend them when they need, how to make wee paper books to keep in your pockets or magical aprons from discarded shirts.
My legacy class, eucalyptographia , was published on September 1, 2020. In it I shared absolutely everything I know about printing and dyeing with eucalyptus. I’ve learned so much more since my books were published (in 2008 & 2011) and it felt important to record it all. It is available for self-study, and content is still growing as participants send in results of their own explorations, sharing the results from local trees in their dyepots.
There’s also the journeywoman’s second skin, a collaboration with Maiwa in which they make the clothing and I offer you suggestions to personalise the pieces. Though based on a Maiwa collection, Journeywoman’s Second Skin contains all the information you need to begin eco printing any natural fibre garment.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive introduction to ecoprinting, working with samples to build up your confidence, roll up and dye :: ecoprint essentials is a solid place to start. It has the added benefit of giving you an ongoing discount at Wonderpants (purveyors of the comfiest undies ever!).
Enrolments in paid textile classes at the school also enjoy ongoing discounts with Beautiful Silks (Australia), Maiwa (Canada) and Deep Deep Light handmade watercolours (Latvia).
If you create an account (it’s free) at the School (and say yes please to emails) you’ll receive sporadic newsletters in which I’ll let you know when there are interesting things on the horizon and you can access a range of free tutorials (as well as enrolling in paid classes). All of my courses have lifetime access.
*the ecoprint is an ecologically sustainable botanical contact print that transfers leaf dyes to cloth, clay, wood, stone or paper ; now widely adopted by makers in almost every country.