My story

Hello, I’m Casey Gallagher Newman and I love leaves! My work stems from my love of the outdoors that began as a child growing up in a little house in the big woods of northern California. Through catching salamanders in the creek, climbing trees, and picking berries, I became a keen observer of the natural world. As an artist, I combine my background in forest ecology with my desire share the beauty of nature with others. I have a master’s degree in forest ecology and have spent much of my career working in environmental education, teaching others to appreciate the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Through my hobbies of sewing and knitting, I became interested in natural dyes as a way to connect my love of nature with fiber arts. This interest and knowledge of plant-based dyes grew to incorporate botanical printing, which is now my main focus.

My work is centered around northwest native plants and I draw inspiration from living and working at Cedar Dell Forest Farm, an educational property on the edge of Gresham, Oregon. Leaves, lichen, and mushrooms are sustainably gathered from the forest for use as dyes and I grow many other dye plants in the garden, including indigo! At Cedar Dell, when I’m not creating art and teaching botanical printing and natural dye workshops, you can find me teaching environmental education programs to children and families. I live at Cedar Dell with my family, pets, and numerous farm animals, including a “spinner’s flock” of Shetland sheep and the sweetest French angora rabbit you could ever meet.