MAY 2025

GARDEN OF DYE PLANTS: GARDEN OF NATURE's COLOURS

Germination and planting of six native dye-producing species to be used in future artistic activities within the scope of the Erasmus project, in our school.

Ana Andrade, Marisela Simões and Sofia Carvalho

JULY 2025

GARDEN OF DYE PLANTS: PIGMENT EXTRACTION

The first step of the pigment extraction protocol for the species Coreopsis consisted of manually harvesting the inflorescences at full bloom. The plants were grown under field conditions in a Mediterranean climate, and the flowers were collected in the morning, between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., during the month of July. Immediately after harvesting, the samples were placed in breathable fabric bags.

NOVEMBER 2025

DISSEMINATION SESSION

Dye plants are plants that produce natural coloring substances - pigments that can be extracted from their parts (roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, etc.) to dye fabrics, fibers, paper, wood, cosmetics, food, and other materials. They represent a more sustainable and ecological alternative to synthetic dyes, having been used since Antiquity and regaining popularity in several fields. Among the most well-known examples are dyer’s lily (yellow), peregrina madder (red), and woad (blue).

As part of the Erasmus project “Natural Paints for Sustainable Art and Crafts” (Plant&Paint Nr. 2024-1-LV01-KA220-VET-000252528), the construction of a dye-plant garden was started in the previous school year, intended for later use in school projects.

On November 5th, during the Drawing A class of 10º4 with teacher Eduarda Andresen, a dissemination session was held to share the activities carried out in Bergamo during the mobility to the partner school Scuola d’Arte Andrea Fantoni. We highlight the students Carlota Santos and Teresa Lopes from class 12ºC2, as well as the teachers Mariana Rêgo and Marisela Simões, who accompanied and took part in the workshops in Italy, for leading this dissemination session. Among these activities, the creation of pastel sticks, chalks, and watercolors stood out, all produced from pigments extracted from the dye plants cultivated at that school.

From November 10th to 14th, the Virtual Project Week took place, with classes from each of the seven partner schools participating. Our school was represented by class 10º4. The goal was for each group of students to develop ideas for games or learning paths that would invite users of the project’s platform to discover the hidden stories of the plants from the various gardens. All communication took place in English, with the collaboration of teacher Anabela Cunha. The Virtual Project Week included three synchronous sessions held at 10:00 a.m. on November 10th, 12th, and 14th, and two asynchronous in-person sessions held on November 11th and 13th.

JANUARY 2026

NATURAL COLOUR LAB: WAX CRAYONS & WATERCOLOURS

As part of the Plant&Paint project - “Natural Paints for Sustainable Art and Crafts” - a natural pigments workshop was held with class 10º4, integrated in the Drawing class, taught by the teacher Eduarda Andresen. The session had an experimental character and focused on the creation of wax crayons and watercolours from natural pigments, through the exploration of manual colour-preparation processes.

The workshop took place on January 9 and was led by the workshop facilitators Mariana Rêgo and Marisela Simões. This activity emerged from the learning experiences developed during the mobility in Bergamo, later adapted to the school context, highlighting the role of the art school in promoting sustainable practices.

From January 21 to 29, using the products created in the workshop, students developed work in the Drawing class, exploring the expressive potential of the new colours and materials and integrating more conscious and sustainable choices into their creative process.

FEBRUARY 2026

LTTA PORTO

Between February 9th and 13th, EASR hosted another Erasmus+ mobility within the framework of the project “Natural Paints for Sustainable Art and Crafts” – Plant & Paint, welcoming delegations from six countries: Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Spain.

Throughout the week, students and teachers took part in a variety of collaborative activities, promoting the exchange of knowledge, artistic experiences and diverse cultural perspectives, in an atmosphere marked by cooperation and creativity.

A summary of the most meaningful moments of this mobility can be found at the Padlet – Map of Moments, where the highlights of the week are documented.

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