I met Donna in 2004 at Convergence,  a hand weavers’s conference in Denver CO. This was the very beginning of my own immersion into natural dyes and Donna helped me to jump-start that journey with natural dye extracts. At that time she was co-owner of a company that sourced and sold natural dye extracts.  Donna was a skilled dyer and was generous in providing information and guidance to me.  As I went deeper into the natural dye world, we spent time together at her home in Denver, CO and at mine in North Carolina. We puzzled over process, asked questions, did lots of dye testing,  and relished our times together.  

In 2013 Donna and I were invited to Guatemala to teach a natural dye workshop, in partnership with Mayan Hands. We taught cotton mordanting processes to a group of women who were skilled back-strap weavers. They were looking to diversify their own work and increase their revenue stream.  We were very conscious of demonstrating processes that were sustainable in their remote mountain location. And the colors needed to be bright! We accomplished that! 

Eventually, Donna and I both evolved in our approaches to dyeing and embraced the source of those dye extracts: the dye plants themselves. I began growing plants in my own garden but Donna had a larger vision: a community garden project that would inform, inspire, and engage. 

The Janice Ford Memorial Dye Garden was begun in 2014 at The Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms location in Littleton, Col. It was formed as a collaboration between the Botanical Gardens and the Rocky Mountain Weaver’s Guild. Under Donna’s tutelage, a community of volunteers have worked together year round: planning, researching, planting, weeding, harvesting, drying plant materials, and dyeing. This garden has brought hands-on dye experiences and education about sustainable practices to community members of all ages. It is a testament to what an individual with a vision can do. Donna was a beloved community leader. She will be dearly missed. 

In 2019, Donna and her husband, Cliff, began another dye garden with the The Corey Brown Memorial Dye Garden at the John C. Campbell Folks School in North Carolina. Donna taught classes at the Folk School many times and always cherished her time there.  At this time of year, in July, that garden is full of color, possibilities and memories.  

Next July (2025) It will be my privilege to teach a class at the Folk School: Growing Color: In Honor of the Legacy of Donna Brown, where we will use plants from that garden and celebrate the life and work of Donna Brown.