Phare Ponleu Selpak
Pigment making workshop
Whenever I have the opportunity to return to Battambang, my former home in Cambodia, I always enjoy visiting and teaching at Phare Ponleu Selpak, an art school with around 1,000 students.
One of my favourite workshops to teach is pigment making. We begin with a short talk about pigments, how they are created and a little of their history. There is always a rather smelly story involving egg yolk, which adds a bit of humour to the afternoon.
This year, I was joined by Professor Robyn Clark, whom I had met through The Pinnaroo Project, which explored the effects of art on a community. It was wonderful having Robyn there. She brought a scientific perspective to the workshop, explaining how art can affect both individuals and the wider community.
After our introduction, I sent the students outside to collect rocks, soil, vegetation and anything else they thought might produce a colour.
When they returned with their discoveries, I showed them how to turn these materials into pigments and create their own paints. An important part of the process was learning to record their recipes, noting the materials, quantities and methods they had used.
These notes allow the students to reproduce a successful pigment, but perhaps more importantly, they help them learn from the ones that don’t last. If a painting fades after a few years, they will know which recipe not to repeat.
Finally, with our freshly made paints, everyone created a painting or two. There is something wonderful about seeing students discover colour in the most ordinary materials, then turn those discoveries into art.
It is always such a fun and rewarding day, full of experimentation, surprises and laughter.
I’m looking forward to returning to Phare to teach again in July 2027.
