Learn with Melonie Ancheta
Independent Study
Formal Classes
Tutorials
Guest Lectures
Workshops
Study directly with Melonie Ancheta, Founder of Pigments Revealed International, Native Paint Revealed and Copper Woman Studio.
She offers a variety of learning opportunities focused on traditional Northwest Coast pigment and paint technology, art, and history.
Available Courses
Handmade Paints from Natural Pigments
Traditional Northwest Coast Paint Technologies
Advanced Pigment and Paint for Natural Materials (wood, hide, leather, bone and others)
Other classes and intensive study available in Coast Salish, Northern Northwest Coast culture and art.
Contact Melonie at [email protected] for more information about guest lectures, or to set up personalized study (virtual or in-person) or organize a private group workshop. Or learn more at copperwomanstudio.com and nativepaintrevealed.com
About Melonie Ancheta
Melonie has been a professional Northwest Coast (NWC) Indigenous style artist for more than 30 years and has taught NWC Indigenous history, culture and art for more than twenty five years in a variety of formats including, college, workshops, tutorials and distance learning.
With forty years researching the use of pigments around the world, and more than twenty-five years of extensive research into traditional NWC pigments and paint technology, Ancheta is recognized by many prestigious institutions like the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and others, as the authority on traditional NWC Indigenous color use and paint technology.
In the process of researching NW Coast paint technologies, Ancheta has confirmed the use of celadonite, a green pigment, and red ochre on the NW Coast for at least 4,000 years. She is the first person to identify and study the use and behaviors of the blue pigment, vivianite, as used by NW Coast Indigenous cultures. Currently she is working on a book about traditional NW Coast color use, and pigment and paint technology, and researching the use of cinnabar and chlorite by NWC Indigenous cultures.
She offers a variety of learning opportunities focused on traditional Northwest Coast pigment and paint technology, art, and history.
Available Courses
Handmade Paints from Natural Pigments
Traditional Northwest Coast Paint Technologies
Advanced Pigment and Paint for Natural Materials (wood, hide, leather, bone and others)
Other classes and intensive study available in Coast Salish, Northern Northwest Coast culture and art.
Contact Melonie at [email protected] for more information about guest lectures, or to set up personalized study (virtual or in-person) or organize a private group workshop. Or learn more at copperwomanstudio.com and nativepaintrevealed.com
About Melonie Ancheta
Melonie has been a professional Northwest Coast (NWC) Indigenous style artist for more than 30 years and has taught NWC Indigenous history, culture and art for more than twenty five years in a variety of formats including, college, workshops, tutorials and distance learning.
With forty years researching the use of pigments around the world, and more than twenty-five years of extensive research into traditional NWC pigments and paint technology, Ancheta is recognized by many prestigious institutions like the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and others, as the authority on traditional NWC Indigenous color use and paint technology.
In the process of researching NW Coast paint technologies, Ancheta has confirmed the use of celadonite, a green pigment, and red ochre on the NW Coast for at least 4,000 years. She is the first person to identify and study the use and behaviors of the blue pigment, vivianite, as used by NW Coast Indigenous cultures. Currently she is working on a book about traditional NW Coast color use, and pigment and paint technology, and researching the use of cinnabar and chlorite by NWC Indigenous cultures.
Select Research Publications
- Revealing Blue on the Northern Northwest Coast, UCLA’s American Indian Culture and Research Journal (DOI 10.17953/aicrj.43.1.ancheta). This monograph is an in depth discussion of the blue pigment, vivianite, and its use and enormous significance to NW Coast Indigenous cultures.
- Coloring the Native Northwest Coast, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Magazine, American Indian, Spring 2016., Western Association for Art Conservation Conference
- Coloring the Ancient: Northwest Coast Native Pigments, Northwest Anthropology and Archaeology conference.
- A Thin Red Line: Pigments and Paints on Coast Salish Story Poles, contributing author to A Totem Pole History: The work of Lummi carver Joe Hillaire.