Artists are dyeing to get into the “Earth Tones I” and “II” exhibits currently showing at the Brunnier Art Museum and the Farm House Museum.

Approximately 80 artists from 14 countries, including Canada, Korea, Japan, Australia, France, Malaysia, and Mexico, are displaying works that are naturally dyed.

“Earth Tones I: Natural Dyes in Art” is currently showing at the Brunnier, while “Earth Tones II: Natural Dyes in History” is at the Farm House.

“The focus on natural dyes along with the revival of natural dyes is what caught our attention,” said Dana Michels, curator of collections and exhibitions for University Museums.

Natural dyes fell out of fashion in the 1850s with the advent of synthetic dyes. But natural dyes are making a comeback due to increased concern for the environment.

“Viewers have been impressed by the great variety and brightness of colors,” Michels said.

The shows are unique because the main focus is natural dyes, said Sara Kadolph, associate professor in textiles and clothing.

Items on display include apparel, wall hangings, fabric, quilts, rugs, ethnic apparel, driftwood sculptures, watercolors, parchment, basketry, book covers and dolls.

“I think people will be amazed by the range and intensity of color, the variety of dyestuffs used, the methods and techniques used to create these pieces and the media incorporated,” Kadolph said.

Multiple techniques are used to create these pieces.

Traditional immersion dyeing is a process of immersing the piece in a dye bath and then heating it.

Contact dyeing can be done by bundling a piece with raw dyestuff and aging it for weeks or even months.

Stitching, quilting, rug hooking, embroidery, weaving, knitting, sewing, basketry and wrapping are all other methods that can be used.

All of the pieces on display use at least 50 percent natural dyes, such as indigo, madder, and cochineal. Each piece has also been created within the past five years.

Indigo is derived from fermented leaves and plant stems of several related plants found in Asia, Africa and Central America.

Cochineal is obtained from a small beetle from Central America.

And Madder comes from the root of a plant native to Asia, said Kadolph.

Kadolph said she believes viewers will take away an “appreciation of natural dyes as an artistic media and as potential commercial dyes.”