Katie Browne
Textile Artist • Printmaker • Natural Dye Educator
Katie Browne is a Colorado-based textile artist, printmaker, and natural dye educator whose work celebrates the quiet intelligence of nature. Through a meditative process of hand-dyeing and printing, she transforms natural fibers into richly layered works of art—each piece steeped in color, texture, and time.
Art That Grows From the Ground Up
Working primarily with botanicals foraged from the landscapes around her home in Carbondale, CO, Katie creates one-of-a-kind textiles that reflect the rhythms of the earth and the human hand. Her practice combines traditional block printing with the evolving art of natural dyeing—bridging ancient craft with contemporary design.
Every pigment, every print, every stitch tells a story of place and presence. Whether it's fabric dyed with marigolds grown in her own dye garden, or a hand-printed wall hanging using carved floral motifs, Katie’s work invites you to slow down, to notice, and to reconnect with what’s beautiful and real.
Offerings
Custom Textile Commissions
Katie collaborates with individuals, interior designers, and fellow artists to create bespoke textile pieces—from large-scale botanical wall art and naturally dyed fabric yardage to small batch garments and heirloom-quality home goods. Each commission is rooted in Katie’s signature process: slow, sustainable, and story-driven.
Interested in collaborating on a one-of-a-kind textile? Katie offers seasonal availability for custom projects and would love to hear your vision.
Natural Dye Workshops & Events
Katie also teaches immersive botanical dye workshops in Colorado and beyond—offering both public and private experiences that are tactile, grounding, and creatively nourishing.
Workshop participants learn how to extract color from local plants, explore the basics of fiber preparation and dye techniques, and leave with their own naturally dyed textiles. Whether you’re planning an outdoor summer event, a community art offering, or a private creative gathering, Katie brings her knowledge, warmth, and materials to guide the experience.
She has taught throughout Hawai’i and Colorado, and currently hosts seasonal workshops in Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley.
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Katie Browne has been working with fabric and print since her teens. She studied Fashion Technology at the University of Hawai’i and has continued her education in natural dyeing through mentorships and intensive programs, including those at Maiwa School of Textiles and The Dogwood Dyer. Her artistic training is matched by a strong background in education—making her a beloved instructor as much as a skilled maker. Her work has been featured in numerous group shows across Colorado and Hawai’i, including the Valley Visual Art Show and Art Maui. She was awarded the Alleghany Meadows Fellowship in 2022 and continues to contribute to the creative ecology of the Roaring Fork Valley.
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In 2009, Katie founded BOX ELEVEN, a slow-made textile studio that honors sustainability, tradition, and color. Through BOX ELEVEN, she sells hand-printed, botanically dyed pieces—often made with upcycled or thrifted fabrics—and shares her work at exhibitions, workshops, and community events.
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Outside of her studio, Katie is most often found with her tiny, snoozing sidekick Chico—a senior Chihuahua who keeps watch from a sunny patch of floor while she works. Together, they tend to a backyard dye garden, sew tiny jackets (mostly for him), and find inspiration on hikes through the Colorado wilderness.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Aspen Ideas Festival
June 25 - July 1
Katie Browne is thrilled to be leading a hands-on botanical dye workshop at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival—a globally recognized gathering of artists, thinkers, and change-makers committed to sparking dialogue and inspiring action.
As part of the festival’s interactive programming, Katie will guide participants through the process of creating color with foraged flowers, leaves, and roots—inviting them to explore the beauty of natural dyes through a creative, eco-conscious lens. This immersive session offers a chance to slow down, reconnect with nature, and leave with your own plant-dyed textile.
Interested in hosting an event?
Looking to bring creativity, nature, and hands-on learning to your next event? Katie offers custom botanical dye workshops for groups of all sizes—perfect for community spaces, art centers, private gatherings, or corporate retreats.
Each workshop is designed to meet your audience where they are, with a focus on accessibility, sustainability, and beauty. Participants learn the foundations of natural dyeing, from plant preparation to fabric techniques, using locally foraged or garden-grown dye materials.
Workshops can be hosted outdoors (ideal for spring and summer) or indoors with full setup provided. Whether you're planning a weekend retreat, team-building event, or educational series, Katie brings her expertise—and her signature warmth—to create a memorable, meaningful experience.
Katie’s art is about process, place, and presence. Drawing on both craft and ecology, she creates with reverence for nature and with a belief that art-making can be deeply healing and accessible.
From wildflowers to walnut hulls, marigolds to madder root, the materials she uses are part of a living world—and that world leaves its imprint. Her textiles are not just visually striking but alive with seasonal shifts, plant stories, and a palpable sense of care.
Her mission is simple: to reconnect people with their innate creativity and with the beauty that already surrounds them.
“Rooted in Color” – Katie Browne’s solo exhibition showcased her signature hand-dyed textiles and botanical prints, celebrating the intersection of nature, craft, and personal ritual. Each piece told a story of season, soil, and slow process.