Vibrant colors, with the caps on

Given how well they blend into the forest, it’s hard to believe that, when treated properly, mushrooms can be used to create vibrant dyes in stunning colors.

Learn more at the next Coastal Arts Guild Tea & Talk on Thursday, March 20, at the Newport Visual Arts Center.

Sara Gibson, a life-long forager of all wild, edible and useful plants and mushrooms, will give an introduction to dying with West Coast fungi and lichens and talk about using mushroom pigments for fiber arts on the West Coast and in the Canary Islands.

Artists from around the world are creating paper, watercolors, pigment sticks and dyes in an ever-expanding world of mushroom and lichen dyes. Gibson has focused on harnessing pigments for use in fiber arts. Her talk will cover the history of mushroom dyeing, sustainable harvest practices, foraging safety and how to process your own finds. Guests will take part in creating their own dye samples from regionally abundant dye species.

Gibson has led forays for outdoor schools, Oregon State Parks, mushroom camps and school groups. She has been a mushroom and lichen dyer for more than 15 years and teaches workshops on dying and wet felting with mushrooms and protein-based fibers.

She lives on the Central Oregon Coast with her family and is a school garden coordinator.

The March 20 talk begins at 2 pm at the Newport Visual Arts Center, located at 777 NW Beach Drive.

For more information, call 541- 961-5959.