my kit - Morrison Polkinghorne

my organic kit

Dried Lotus Flower

Morrison begins by collecting discarded lotus flowers from temples in Cambodia. Given to him by monastery monks after the flowers and stalks had been donated as temple offerings.

Glass Container #1

After collecting lotus flowers offered to Cambodian temples, Morrison separated the decaying petals, then dried them over months on his roof in Battambang. He then burned these to ash.

Glass Container #2

Gum Arabic. Morrison learned ink making in Dong Ho paper village near Hanoi, and learned to make a glue from glutinous rice using gum Arabic as binder. Gum Arabic is used in his paints and washes.

Glass Container #3

Morrison set out trays and buckets during Monsoonal storms in Battambang to collect rainwater. Large vats were used to mix rainwater and the lotus ash for a minimum of 12 months, then bound with gum Arabic as an adhesive. This sample of ink was made in 2018.

Calligraphy Pen

Morrison uses a hand-made calligraphy pen to create his lotus flower paintings Sometimes also crafted from bamboo, this pen was made from the tip of the Black Walnut tree that he planted to commemorate his new home in Murrayville, Victoria.

Roof Tile

The National Bank of Cambodia lost many of its French colonial roof tiles during a severe storm in Battambang. At the time Morrison collected fragments of these broken tiles to create sepia pigment.

To create, tile is finely ground with a muller then mixed with rainwater and gum Arabic.

This Morrison incorporated this pigment in his Rise series, to create a sunrise glow.

Charcoal

At ancient Khmer temples in Cambodia, Morrison sketched on a pad with charcoal. fossicked amongst the ruins.

24K gold leaf

Mandalay, Burma using large mallets to hand-hammer gold leaf is a tough, sweaty work. Morrison incorporates this artisanal gold leaf on selected works.

Crayon

Morrison mixes ash from the lotus flower with wild beeswax to make crayons. Morrison uses this crayon to paint the sky on his Arise series of artwork.

Lotus Pod

A fresh green lotus stalk is used to emboss Morrison’s lotus impressions. A fresh stalk only lasts about 3 days before it wilts. In the Mallee Morrison can’t get sufficient fresh lotus. In Murrayville he grows a lotus growing at his home in a fishpond, but that dies back in winter. Plus its stalks are too thin to use as a brush.

Pictured is the first lotus pod from Murrayville plant, dried.

In Cambodia Morrison dried lotus pods, then brewed them to create a golden brown wash. This hue is used in his Rise series.

Rock

In Australia’s Malle, Kopi or gypsum rock, is plentiful. With a smooth glass mortar and pestle he grinds a pigment from the rock as a gouache in his latest Pinned series of artworks.

Blue Linen Thread

All of Morrison’s published “Sacred Ink – Lotus Art” books are hand stitched with this organic blue linen thread.

He has a goal to paint five-million-and-five lotus impressions, estimating that this will entail 25 years of his life. His upcoming first million will be completed during his Blue Series. When he reaches one million, he intends to change to another colour of the linen thread.

Buffalo Hair

In Cambodia the hair from buffalo ears are used to make traditional artists brushes. Morrison uses such brushes to write notes.

Feather

Morrison collected bird feathers from Angkor Wat, the 1000 year old Khmer temple in Siem Reap, then crafts feather brushes.

Feather Brush

Medieval religious texts were made with a feather brush, both hard quill for lettering, while the feathery end allowed for intricate swirling design. My fine lines are only able to be made with feather, and my detailed works composing Khmer calligraphy is achievable only with a bespoke brush, not hard quill.

Morrison uses this feather brush in his “Rise and Vibrations” series. Feathers were collected from Angkor Wat grounds in Cambodia. The handle is from a tree he planted in Sydney thirty five years ago.