On the left is a photo the 6th state of my "Vilnius" project. The rust printing is finished, the dye work is finished and it is now ready to be stitched and framed. I will not have time to stitch this before my exhibit in Vilnius, but I will take it with me as part of the exhibit.
Rust printing can be very unpredictable. Dyeing with natural dyes can be unpredictable as well. If the dyes are loaded with tannins, when they contact the iron in the rust, the color may change completely to blue, gray or black!
This has been a fun journey and even though it took 7 days to create, it was like receiving a gift every morning when I went to uncover the print.
It is indeed a worthwhile journey to make as it teaches you to work slowly and to pay attention to what your materials are telling you. It is a method that gives the artist a little more control over the final outcome than straight natural dyeing or eco printing. It can also be used to create a base layer upon which to work with other media. Try it, I think you will enjoy it.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Rust dyeing for my Vilnius Project!
Since I will be traveling to Vilnius, Lithuania April 8th for an exhibit of my eco printed fabric and paper works, I decided to do a rust printed/dyed project to commemorate the event.
I started with a piece of white cotton muslin approx. 5' x 6', gathered together all kinds of things that I thought would make interesting marks, and set about creating marks and textures to illustrate what could be done with recycled metals.
Old Railroad and Industrial pieces are good, construction debris, old farm equipment (they can be broken), old housewares and tools from your garage all contribute to making marks on your work surface. You are creating sort of a metal shorthand. And you are re-using something that probably would have gone to a landfill or stayed in a junk pile helping to draw vermin and maybe causing someone to get hurt.
You do not need to make a "realistic" picture. You can do an abstract of similar shapes or high contrast shapes to help create textures rhythm and movement throughout the piece. Let your self go and develop your inner expression. I have provided some photos of the work in progress. When it is complete, I will post it again.
I started with a piece of white cotton muslin approx. 5' x 6', gathered together all kinds of things that I thought would make interesting marks, and set about creating marks and textures to illustrate what could be done with recycled metals.
Old Railroad and Industrial pieces are good, construction debris, old farm equipment (they can be broken), old housewares and tools from your garage all contribute to making marks on your work surface. You are creating sort of a metal shorthand. And you are re-using something that probably would have gone to a landfill or stayed in a junk pile helping to draw vermin and maybe causing someone to get hurt.
You do not need to make a "realistic" picture. You can do an abstract of similar shapes or high contrast shapes to help create textures rhythm and movement throughout the piece. Let your self go and develop your inner expression. I have provided some photos of the work in progress. When it is complete, I will post it again.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
More EcoPrints on Paper!
I am again trying to extend my knowledge of what happens when you mix various materials with watercolor paper and a cast iron cooking pot. I already knew that iron and Eucalyptus would react with each other, creating colors and patterns that they do not when used separately. What I wanted was to add, in small measure, other materials to find out what reactions would occur. My other question that I am still seeking a definite answer to is; can I plan a design and predictably carry it out by using the same methods or must I change the way I work and think?
I set up my cauldron, gathered a few different materials together and began layering them onto sheets of 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper which was sandwiched between 2 12" sq. ceramic tiles. This packet was then placed inside the cauldron on top of a Stainless Steel wire rack to keep them elevated out of the boiling water. A lid was put on the pot and the fire started. When I saw steam escaping from under the lid, I clocked the cooking time for 1 hr. and then let the fire die down and the packet to remain in the pot to cool. I left the packet sandwiched for 3 days.
The results taught me a few more things that I had not known. During the steaming, color and minerals migrate through the stack affecting all of the prints in some way. Metals affected other papers that were not indirect contact with it. It affect other plant materials that were not in contact with it. I did not have any adverse effects except with turmeric. It is so strong that it can affect pages that are 5 or 6 sheets away just from being carried by the steam in the pot. The photos will show my results and also the migrations. The order they were photographed is the order in which they were stacked.
I set up my cauldron, gathered a few different materials together and began layering them onto sheets of 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper which was sandwiched between 2 12" sq. ceramic tiles. This packet was then placed inside the cauldron on top of a Stainless Steel wire rack to keep them elevated out of the boiling water. A lid was put on the pot and the fire started. When I saw steam escaping from under the lid, I clocked the cooking time for 1 hr. and then let the fire die down and the packet to remain in the pot to cool. I left the packet sandwiched for 3 days.
The results taught me a few more things that I had not known. During the steaming, color and minerals migrate through the stack affecting all of the prints in some way. Metals affected other papers that were not indirect contact with it. It affect other plant materials that were not in contact with it. I did not have any adverse effects except with turmeric. It is so strong that it can affect pages that are 5 or 6 sheets away just from being carried by the steam in the pot. The photos will show my results and also the migrations. The order they were photographed is the order in which they were stacked.
Monday, February 20, 2012
3 Ecco Printed silk Scarves and 1 Eco Printed Tee Shirt = 4 Blue Ribbons!
I decided to enter the County Fair with three of the silk scarves pictured on the left (the two outside scarves in the top photo and the scarf in the next photo down). I also entered an Eco Printed cotton Tee Shirt. All total, they won 4 blue ribbons. I was very surprised, not many people in my rural county know what eco printing is, much less natural dyeing. But I guess beauty wins out in any case. The scarves are lovely to look at and feel. The Tee shirt was popular with many hunters and fishermen because it looked like a camoflage shirt.
Of course, it made me very happy that they were so well received.!
Of course, it made me very happy that they were so well received.!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Spread the Word!
It is becoming more and more obvious to me that the use of natural plant materials to make dyes, inks and other things is spreading rapidly. I have given a few speeches locally, and taught a few workshops; and now the request for more are rolling in. I am of course very happy. I have become fairly passionate about what I do and I would like the whole World to enjoy it as much as I.
My reasons for getting started in this were quite simple, my reasons for staying with this and pushing it further is more complex. There is something wonderful about taking simple, natural items and creating something of beauty with them that warms the inner being. Why shouldn't I use Nature's gifts to do what makes me feel good? Our World has become so complicated and technical that we have lost our connection with Nature. We use to take a vacation and dedicate it to visiting one National Park or Historical place. Now, we jump on a tour bus and in 3 days we can cover 7 or 8 places and thereby gain knowledge of the World!
Natural dyeing and Eco printing have given me back the feeling of discovery!
I have a childlike wonder again, something I sadly missed. I admit I have become quite jaded and cynical due to the various careers I have had. I can pickup a leaf and see its texture, color and shape; but it doesn't stop there. I also see the subtle little changes in color that indicate there is more inside. I now look at all of the parts of the leaf, not just the immediately visible surface. Now I think, "I wonder how this will print on fabric or paper, how can I extract this beautiful color before it has gone?"
At 69 yrs. old it is a wonderful thing to have a renewed interest in Life and find joy in the simple things again. I makes me want to shout from the rooftops, "The World is at your feet, pick it up, look at it, It's wonderful!"
I am a Virgo. Sometimes considered to be a real organizer, planner and full steam ahead doer. Sometimes I am a bit of a perfectionist. Ha. Nature can sure change all that! When you work with natural things, you learn that we are but one pebble in the stream, and just when we thought we had it down pat, Nature shows us there is still a lot to learn.
This blog entry got a little wordy, but I wanted to tell you how much this art form has meant to me and what I have discovered about myself along the way. I would like each of you to look at what you have discovered about the techniques and how the knowledge has changed the way you view the World. We are truly an international community, we share that same thrill of discovery, the practicality of what we do, and we leave the World a little better off because we have done it.
Enjoy your dyeing, tell your friends about it, encourage more interest in it and share your knowledge willingly and freely.....Now go! Back to the dyepots!
My reasons for getting started in this were quite simple, my reasons for staying with this and pushing it further is more complex. There is something wonderful about taking simple, natural items and creating something of beauty with them that warms the inner being. Why shouldn't I use Nature's gifts to do what makes me feel good? Our World has become so complicated and technical that we have lost our connection with Nature. We use to take a vacation and dedicate it to visiting one National Park or Historical place. Now, we jump on a tour bus and in 3 days we can cover 7 or 8 places and thereby gain knowledge of the World!
Natural dyeing and Eco printing have given me back the feeling of discovery!
I have a childlike wonder again, something I sadly missed. I admit I have become quite jaded and cynical due to the various careers I have had. I can pickup a leaf and see its texture, color and shape; but it doesn't stop there. I also see the subtle little changes in color that indicate there is more inside. I now look at all of the parts of the leaf, not just the immediately visible surface. Now I think, "I wonder how this will print on fabric or paper, how can I extract this beautiful color before it has gone?"
At 69 yrs. old it is a wonderful thing to have a renewed interest in Life and find joy in the simple things again. I makes me want to shout from the rooftops, "The World is at your feet, pick it up, look at it, It's wonderful!"
I am a Virgo. Sometimes considered to be a real organizer, planner and full steam ahead doer. Sometimes I am a bit of a perfectionist. Ha. Nature can sure change all that! When you work with natural things, you learn that we are but one pebble in the stream, and just when we thought we had it down pat, Nature shows us there is still a lot to learn.
This blog entry got a little wordy, but I wanted to tell you how much this art form has meant to me and what I have discovered about myself along the way. I would like each of you to look at what you have discovered about the techniques and how the knowledge has changed the way you view the World. We are truly an international community, we share that same thrill of discovery, the practicality of what we do, and we leave the World a little better off because we have done it.
Enjoy your dyeing, tell your friends about it, encourage more interest in it and share your knowledge willingly and freely.....Now go! Back to the dyepots!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Eco Prints on Paper II
Well, I'm off again, seeking new adventure on paper. My latest inspiration came to me while making spachetti sauce. I was sprinkling Italian Seasoning into the pot when I though "What if" I did something like this only prints? Not daunted by much, I set my sauce to simmer, got out some broken leaves and other plant materials, a ziplock bag and a rolling pin. I place the materials in the Ziplock bag and crushed them with the rolling pin. Then I place them in an empty shaker bottle. I set some printmaking paper to soak in a pot of alum mordant I had prepared for cloth, and gathered dried leaves, berries, some rusty wire from a burned automobile tire and my trusty rice cooker. After soaking my papers, I began so stack paper, leaves, sprinkles of plant material, etc. until I had a nice stack. I placed the stack in my rice cooker and added 3 cups of a fern root and bladder extract. I steamed for 1.5 hrs. and left in the pot covered overnight. The attached photos will show the final results. I was glad to discover that you could use more than watercolor paper to make prints.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Eco-printing for paper!
It's a new year, with new ideas and new things to play with. Last December I posted two sites that just blew me away with examples of using eco-dyeing to print paper. As a printmaker, I knew that I had to try this. This morning I spent about 2 hrs. gathering up leaves from my stash, soaking them in warm water, and preparing water color paper for eco-printing. Like a quilter, I went from bin to bin, box to box, gathering things that would give texture and color to my prints. I felt like a kid in school again. I have even used some leaves that were previously used in eco-printing fabric.
I had some scraps of 140 lb. and 300 lb. watercolor papers, both hot and cold pressed so I prepared them by tearing them into approx. 5 x 7 in. sheets, then soaking them in an alum bath (warm) for about 20-25 minutes. I placed a large bowl of water in the micro and warmed it for about 3 minutes and placed my leaves, etc.in the water to soak until they were soft enough to lay flat.
I placed a steamer rack in my old enameled canning kettle, and laid down an 8" x8" white ceramic tile. Then I started layering. Paper then leaves, paper, leaves, until I had 8 sheets of paper covered with leaves and flower parts of different kinds, finally weighing them down with another ceramic tile. I covered the kettle with the lid and am steaming for about 2 hours. I will not undo the bundle until it is completely cold. Photos to follow tomorrow.
I had some scraps of 140 lb. and 300 lb. watercolor papers, both hot and cold pressed so I prepared them by tearing them into approx. 5 x 7 in. sheets, then soaking them in an alum bath (warm) for about 20-25 minutes. I placed a large bowl of water in the micro and warmed it for about 3 minutes and placed my leaves, etc.in the water to soak until they were soft enough to lay flat.
I placed a steamer rack in my old enameled canning kettle, and laid down an 8" x8" white ceramic tile. Then I started layering. Paper then leaves, paper, leaves, until I had 8 sheets of paper covered with leaves and flower parts of different kinds, finally weighing them down with another ceramic tile. I covered the kettle with the lid and am steaming for about 2 hours. I will not undo the bundle until it is completely cold. Photos to follow tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)