Caitlin Wichlacz

If you haven't seen it already, there's a whole Instagram account making fun of this guy and his lousy copper: www.instagram.com/eanasirscopp...

Small rocks of different colors are arranged on a concrete step in the sun. These will be ground into pigments to make watercolor paints.

Art supplies

#earthpigments #watercolor #paintmaking #handmadewatercolors

Hood strawberries, green onions, radishes, and arugula in a small oval basket on a wooden patio table

The garden was just waiting for my return
🍓🥬🫜🧅😍

Caitlin stands behind a lectern in the Sedona Community Library.

Presentation title slide: "Slips and Lasers: Exploring New Dimensions of Salado Polychrome Ceramic Production in the Phoenix Basin of Arizona"

A view of Sedona's red rock landscape

Landscape view including Bell Rock, Sedona

Thank you, Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, and thank you, Sedona. This research project was funded by a David Wilcox Archaeology Grant from the Verde Valley Chapter of AAS, and it was a real pleasure to share the results in person.

🏺 #archaeology #academicsky

The PDF version is available here:
aac.wildapricot.org/Sys/Store/Pr...

Journal of Arizona Archaeology 11(1), Spring 2025

The Spring 2025 issue of the Journal of Arizona Archaeology (Volume 11, number 1) is out today! Copies are available in the members section of the AAC website, or from the AAC web shop.
aac.wildapricot.org/JAZA

🏺 #archaeology #academicsky #ArizonaArchaeologicalCouncil #JAZA

Slips and Lasers : Exploring New Dimensions of Salado Polychrome Ceramic Production in the Phoenix Basin of Arizona Free presentation by archaeologist Caitlin A. Wichlacz, sponsored by the Verde Valley Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society. Thursday May 22, 2025. Sedona Public Library, 3:30pm. Salado polychrome pottery (also called Roosevelt Red Ware) was produced in numerous locations across the American Southwest between ca. 1300 and 1450 CE, creating a pattern that archaeologists have called the “Salado phenomenon.” Through discussions of recent chemical analyses of the body clays and white slips used to make this ware, this presentation will explore the possibility that Salado polychrome pottery may reflect multiple networks of interaction, both within the Phoenix Basin and tying its communities to the broader regional Salado phenomenon. Perhaps the most striking visual characteristic of the Salado polychromes is their bold designs, executed in white and red slips and black paints. White slips are essential in Salado polychrome production, but only certain clays have the necessary characteristics to successfully create these wares. Because white clays are not common in the geology of the Phoenix Basin and were not among the materials used by the region's inhabitants prior to the adoption of Salado polychromes, white slips appear to be an interesting specialized raw material that was likely transported to the Phoenix Basin from elsewhere. The laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of white slip samples for this study was funded through a David R. Wilcox Archaeology Grant awarded by the Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society.

Arizona friends, I'll be giving a public talk in Sedona next week on recent research on Salado polychrome ceramics in the Phoenix Basin. Archaeological ceramics + archaeological science = new insights on regional interactions during the 14th and 15th centuries. (more in alt text)

🏺 #archaeology

Participants in the Ceramics and Archaeological Sciences session at the Society for American Archaeology 2025 meeting in Denver. (I am kneeling in the front row, second from the right.)

Slips and Lasers : Characterizing White Slip Clays on Salado Polychrome Ceramics from the Phoenix Basin of Arizona Using LA-ICP-MS Caitlin A. Wichlacz and Brandi MacDonald

What a treat it was to share the room (and my research!) with this amazing group of researchers in the Ceramics and Archaeological Sciences session at the Society for American Archaeology 2025 meeting in Denver.
#SAA2025Denver #🏺 #archaeology

A new CV section for UNINVITED talks. List of instances I’ve accidentally lectured in unwanted contexts

The Journal of Arizona Archaeology is seeking manuscript submissions for future issues. Please see the journal webpage for details, or contact the editor. (That's me)

aac.wildapricot.org/JAZA

#AcademicSky #Archaeology #ArizonaArchaeologicalCouncil #JAZA

Today, I'm also guilty of having done some data analysis, but I'm not sorry.

#AcademicSky

When I have a compelling idea for a paper or project (in the middle of other things I "should" be doing), I give myself one hour to do background research, download papers, and create a fresh document with whatever is cooking in my brain. It's been a fruitful strategy.

#AcademicSky

A ceramic bowl holds three decorated Easter eggs

Fancy Eggs

This year, I tried wax-resist designs on brown eggs with hibiscus and turmeric dyes, but I think I added too much vinegar. Both the dye and part of the shell etched away, leaving the brown color only where the wax was. Unintentional, but I like it. I might do this on purpose next time!

A small tin box holding three mini pans of handmade watercolor paint sits on a wooden desktop next to a piece of paper with color swatches. Burgundy red, blue-green, and mustard yellow paints mix to make shades of green, brick red, purple, and brown.

Five minutes of swatching and mixing was enough for me to fall in love with this little trio of Oregon colors. I don't often play with mixing my handmade paints, but I see that I have some underexplored possibilities here!

#handmadewatercolors #earthpigments #watercolor #art

Two bookmarks painted with 15th and 17th century European motifs in pale beige watercolor sit on a wooden writing desk next to a paintbrush, water dish, and a lit candle for romantic ambience. I will draw over the watercolor in silverpoint later.

Two bookmarks with 15th and 17th century European motifs, in progress.
Strathmore watercolor paper and watercolor paint from Beam Paints. Candle for ambience. I will draw over the watercolor with silverpoint later.

#watercolor #wip #art

A creek flows along a hiking trail through a green forest on a rainy day

A rainy Sunday hike.

#oregon #hiking

A miniature watercolor study of "In Bloom" by Abbott Fuller Graves. 6 x 4.5 cm The painting shows a woman in a white dress standing on a garden path, surrounded by abundant blooms in pink, white, and purple.

A tiny watercolor painting sits on a desktop next to a paint palette (a small antique butterpat plate) and paintbrush

Tiny impressionist study from last weekend's painting workshop.
6 x 4.5 cm, after Abbott Fuller Graves, "In Bloom"
Watercolors handmade from Oregon rocks, lapis lazuli, and a bit of Lukas china white to add opacity and bring out pastel tones.

#watercolor #tinyart #masterstudy #handmadewatercolors

A small round loaf of bread on a round wooden bread board. The loaf is cut in half.

A small round loaf of bread on a round wooden bread board.

Baked some bread. Now I will spend the day trying not to eat the entire loaf by myself.

#baking #bread

Heard a lovely concert by the Portland Baroque Orchestra tonight, and the pre-concert lecture touched on several very interesting ideas that set my mind in pleasing motion. An excellent evening.

Inspired by antique portrait miniatures, here is my watercolor portrait of the lovely Louise Pascal in 18th century costume.
~1.5 x 2 in. (~3.75 x 5 cm)
Watercolor paints handmade from Oregon rocks.

#watercolor #portrait #tinyart #portraitminiature #handmadewatercolors

A sunbeam lights a wooden tray holding a slice of apple tart on a blue and white plate, a teapot, and cup and saucer.

Tarte aux pommes on a blue and white plate

Tarte aux pommes on a sunny weekend

#baking #homebaking

A laptop, notebook, and a cup of tea. Looking out the window of a coffee shop toward the street and grey skies.

Writing writing

Purple irises blooming in the park on March 1st.

Then suddenly one day it was spring

to me, the *in advance* part of the "don't obey in advance" slogan is so revealing.

is there supposedly, to those using that expression, a right time to obey?

have archaeology chemistry samples but no funding yet to process them? Andrew Zipkin shares a new award where students can receive up to $3000 credit toward analytical chemistry lab work
socarchsci.org/awards/eag-l...

Playing with 18th-century-inspired repeating patterns and some new watercolors from The Art of Soil.

#watercolor #earthpigments

I had the great pleasure of giving a guest lecture for the Archaeological Method and Theory class at PSU yesterday. I had a fantastic time talking about experimental archaeology and ceramics research. Thank you, Dr. Nims, for the invitation!

It's the EXACT SAME YARN ✨
I can hardly believe it.
Now I wish I hadn't frogged the 95% complete sweater vest 😂 but I'm excited to cast on again. Best $1 I've spent this year!

#knitsky #skyKAL #knitting

Casually attempting the improbable.
I went back to the thrift store (3 months later) and found another skein of... Maybe?... the same wool? What do you think? Will it be a match?

#knitsky #skyKAL #knitting

Miniature painting of flowers in a vase, after Rachel Ruysch

Tiny painting in my hand for scale

Work in progress

Flowers in a Vase by Rachel Ruysch, mid-1680s

A tiny watercolor take on Rachel Ruysch's Flowers in a Vase from the mid-1680s. 1.5 inches (~4 cm) dia. Painted with my handmade watercolors.

#tinyart #watercolor #masterstudy #RachelRuysch