Home

Showing posts with label block printing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label block printing. Show all posts

Friday, March 4, 2016

'Current Threads 2015: Garden Tapestry' Has Been Installed

Current Threads 2015: Garden Tapestry has been installed at South Shore Gallery, Sooke.
Here is the view as you walk into the Back Gallery.

The back wall
The lights haven't been adjusted yet but it was time to leave after spending all day installing the work.

The artists worked with the size restriction of 12" wide x 60" or 72" long.
The idea was to give a picket fence feel to the installation.
It appears to be currently a popular format to work in.


The artists also worked with a garden theme which they interpreted freely and widely.

There's my triptych on the left. 
Forest Flowers is about fungal flowering and fruiting bodies found in the forest.

It will be fun to meet up with lots of the artists at the opening reception, tomorrow, Saturday, March 5th, 1 - 3 pm,

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Jane Dunnewold Workshop


I attended Jane Dunnewold's Dye workshop at the Pacific Northwest Art School in Coupeville. Jane took us through many different dyeing techniques. I picked up lots of valuable tips to fine tune my dyeing practice and I was able to correct the bad habits I had developed over the years.
The first exercise was to dye cloth to make a colour wheel. Jane talked about the importance of making a colour wheel that was our own personal 'colour constant' - a reference check for all colours produced. I use Joan Wolfram's 3-in-1 Color Tool but it is printed on paper. I have put on my 'To Do' list to make a cloth one.

We worked with thickened Procion MX dyes. Here are 2 different cloth samples batching. A lesson learned was: take to workshops my best fabrics for the exercises. I had taken several used 100% cotton bedsheets and got some disappointing results. I suspect one wasn't true to label and there was some polyester spun in with the cotton thread. It did not take the dye well. When the base cloth is inferior for the job it is very difficult to assess the results of the other dyeing variables.

Pots were set up outside for silk dyeing.

It was such a warm breezy day the conditions were most pleasant for working outside. I dyed all the silk I brought with me.

Shibori and random scrunch resist techniques with results that could be achieved within minutes.
Jane demonstrated many unique techniques she has developed over the years and left us lots of time to experiment with whatever we wanted. She created such an atmosphere that for me it was low stress and intensive at the same time. I felt tired at the end of each day and so keen and energised at the beginning of each day.
Jane is thinking of offering her 'Complex Cloth' course again, after a hiatus of several years. It was this course coupled with her book 'Complex Cloth', plus her own output that played a major role in a better understanding of surface design in the art world.
So keep your feelers out for 'Complex Cloth' and 'run-don't-walk' to sign up.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Pattern Design For Artists

The students have spent the past couple of weeks learning how to make repeating patterns, developing their own designs then using them to create different patterns.

Connie cuts a quick, inexpensive corrugated cardboard stamp to trial a design.

Elisha created a design based on a building then translated it into foam stamps, one the mirror of the other so she could make a greater variety of patterns.

She chose one of 17 different patterns she could make with this stamp to print on a heavier weight cotton.

Charlotte is developing designs based on the pineapple.

Sarah is exploring pattern making with a design based on lines found on rocks.
She made quick foam stamps of the design in the positive and negative and the mirrors of both. These 4 stamps allow her to create a vast number of different patterns.  

Connie's humming bird wing design is proving to be most successful.
She has produced many pleasing and promising patterns with it.


Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Hand Printing Blocks, India


This highly skilled craftsman carves intricate blocks for printing fabric.


He carves ancient designs and he takes on commissions for new designs. See the Canadian designs on the left. He is making blocks for a Canadian textile artist.

Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Drying the Textiles


Madder & pomegranate drying field. The dyed textiles are laid out on these stones to dry. There was a drizzly rain the day we visited so there were no textiles laid out.


Pomegranate husks in the foreground & the indigo drying field in the middle ground.


A delicious collection of Ajarakh & other traditional block printed textiles, dyed with natural dyes.
Posted by Picasa

Friday, March 7, 2008

Ajarakh Block Printing





Cloth is resist block printed with gum arabic.


Khatri Abduljabbar Mohammad (2003 National Award Winner) is known for his double-sided block printing.
Posted by Picasa