October 2021 at Monson Arts Residency was spent harvesting knotweed (Reynoutria japonica). The roots were dug and chipped to create a golden to copper dye for silk. The stems and leaves were cooked in an alkaline solution then pounded into pulp for paper. Keeping with the inertia of making paper, I pulled out a jar of golden fiddlehead skins I had saved to add natural golden flecks to a cotton rag paper.
Rachel Alexandrou 