Weekly Creativity - Week 6 - Large Screen Prints

While I have a "regular" sized screen for printing, I was excited when I read somewhere about how to make large screens...especially for more organic forms.  I so wish I could remember where I saw it so I could give credit to the person from whom I learned this technique.  If you know...please post it in Comments below!

The "screen" is made from organza taped at the edges.  Lesson for next time:  It is pretty much a two people job...at least for me it would have helped to have an extra pair of hands!  The organza shifted at a breath and the duck tape has a very permanent stickiness!!  But I kept on and finally got a fairly workable screen.

The completed "screen"

I then got out my Golden Matte Medium to spread in a rather haphazard manner onto the screen.  I put it all on top of some packing paper so I could just throw that away when it was done.  Lesson for next time: Don't even TRY to use a plastic spoon!  The sturdy wooden one worked MUCH better.

The medium

With the gel medium spread onto the organza screen, it needed to dry very well. I hung it up to dry overnight.

Drying the screen

When it was very very dry, the medium is quite sturdy...at least so far.  I used the duck tape again to lace a spare piece of  fabric down onto my painting surface. It needs to be very stable I think.  The first printing was made with light blue acrylic paint applied with a squeegie thingie.  Lesson for next time: It does take a good bit of acrylic to cover this size.  I had to get out another small bottle. 

First painted layer print

I then removed the screen to see just how the printing went.

Screen removed

Mainly because I used acrylic paints, the screen had to be rinsed right away. I just filled my sink enough to cover it and soaked it for a minute, then used the sink sprayer to get all the paint off.

Screen Rinsing

I then repeated the printing process with two different colors of green.  I rather like the effect.....kind of like peeling paint.  I especially like the part over the clocks.  

Printing completed with second layer of two greens

Clock detail

And the screen is very much usable again! I'm not sure how many times it will last but it has already been worth the effort.  Now I want to try making a large screen like this but use a more regular pattern or form stamped with the gel medium.  

Onion Print - step 2

Figured out what I wanted to add to my onion stamped fabric! I used a bit of punchinella as a stencil. The paint is Jaquard Neopaque Violet applied with a stencil brush. Since I wanted it to look like the onions were printed on top of the punchinella, I took care not to overlap the onions.  Not sure if it would look like I wanted it to, I first practiced on the Wrinkled and Rollered piece. Liked what I saw and continued on to the onion piece.

Wrinkled and Rollered - Step 2

The test

Onion Stamping - Step 2

Still want to add another layer...just waiting to see what that might be...........

Fun Stuff From The Past Month!

FINALLY!!! I am getting to post about all the fun stuff we did when Wil was here! Always a fun time of "playing" in the studio!

First is a pounded fabric piece. (Ahhh the patience needed for this one! Good character building actually I guess)

Then a couple of sunprints. On the purple one I used the plastic rings from milk containers and some river rocks. The picture is actually of the piece all ironed and smooth. The "wrinkles" were made when doing the sunprinting.

This one I used rice and salt. This one is also ironed.

I had never done any splatter painting so one day we took the paints and fabric outside to play. We had picked up a tile covered little breakfast type table for free on the side of the road just up the street. It was PERFECT for these projects because we didn't care if it got paint on it or got left out in the rain. These were lots of fun and I really like the results.

Next we did some ice cube dyeing. We used some dye that I had still in leftover from a previous project. All mixed with water but no soda ash. Thought it would be interesting to see how much "oomph" it still had. Not too bad really!! Especially considering some of it had been quite diluted for the original dyeing session. Another patience builder but this on is only overnight! The fun of it is that when the dye is frozen in the ice cube trays you can't tell what colors are in which cube! Always a surprise! I love that!

Then I wanted to do some more breakdown printing. (I must have a need to build patience come to think of it....this one requires waiting 3 days or so for the thickened dye to dry on the screen! No instant gratification there!) These started out as red and purple I think...but ended up a bit more on the red side actually. A bit too much on the red/pink side for my taste but they are so beautiful and textured I know they will be awesome either overdyed or as a background for some other technique! I just love the urban-ness of them. Totally different from my love of outdoors and nature. Funny how that works, huh? I am posting them below in order of the printings I did. The first one is the lightest because not that much of the dried thickened dye comes off in the first pass. They get progressively darker.

I've been busy this month getting some things ready to sell (at least hopefully sell!) So, now...back to the "grindstone"!!

Some things completed today

It's been a bit of a productive day after all. Drizzly and gray outside but I've got my tunes cranked up and it is all joyful and fun in the studio!!!

In one group I belong to, we are playing with some embellishment techniques as a group. This month one of the techniques is stamping. I have tons of stamps but I wanted to do more of a Complex Cloth for this project. I used a piece of medium purple hand dyed fabric from my stash as the base. Then I used dark purple acrylic paint and stamped it on with a piece of one of those plastic mats that go on the bottom of your sink so dishes don't break. This one is shaped like stones. Then I used a commercial stamp of different sizes of ovals with a light green acrylic. To finish it off I used a brayer wrapped with a rubber band and painted with Lumier Halo Pink Gold. I wanted both the circular and the linear look when it was done. And here it is!!


Before cleaning up my work island, I had a bunch of scraps hanging around so I made a couple of ATCs just for the fun of it.

The background of the first one is paper toweling that I used to clean up after a particularly messy snow dyeing day. I love the way they turned out so I ironed them and kept them! Then I put on a piece of "zapped" olive green organze. A green ribbon from a gift on the side and on top of that are three sizes of gar scales. They reminded me of arrowheads (and some think they might have been used for that purpose long ago) and the colors take me to my beloved northwoods of Minnesota. Hence the name.

Northwoods

The second one is perhaps leaping from my own harried schedule. The background is a commercial wavy striped fabric. On it is a length of gold an black ribbon wandering across the card. Then the same "zapped" olive green organza and some "zapped" metallic Lutrador. The big gold safety pin indicates the name of this one......and perhaps how I feel most days!!!

Trying To Keep It All Together

I also got some things done for another group project we just started that I will tell you about this weekend! So, check back in!

Stamp Challenge - part 3

GOING TRIBAL

I was all set to do another complex cloth piece. Got out my fabric. Had made my stamps a couple of days ago. Found the paints I wanted and did the first layer. Liked it so much I decided to leave it like it is.

The cutting tools I had gotten years ago on E-bay. The erasers I got 3 for $1 at the local dollar store. These tools cut through the erasers like butter!! So much fun!



Just decided to play and make marks on the erasers. When I finished and put the three together I thought it had a kind of tribal look. So, I'm calling this piece - Going Tribal.


I used my hand dyed fabric from another project and first used a brown acrylic paint and then one called sand.


For now - it is complete. But who knows.....someday I may find an image that would go perfectly with this piece and it will get another layer!

Stamp Challenge - part 2

ALTERED CIRCLES

So today I wanted to try an experiment. I have always used a light color fabric to start a complex cloth technique. This time I started with a darker fabric to see what the paint would do and what the result would be. This piece is all about altered circles.

First I used a spiral "stamp" that I bought at a surplus store. Again, no idea what its "real" purpose is....I just find interesting shapes and collect them. For the first layer I used a light green.



A long time ago I ordered a few packages of the very very flat sponges that could be cut easily into cool shapes and then when you add water they instantly become regular sponges. To alter the circle on this one I cut the flat sponge in several pieces, hydrated it and adhered it to a block. For this layer I used a paint called orchid. Sort of a pinky-lilac color as a complimentary color to the green.

When the orchid paint was wet (center of picture) it showed up quite well but as it dried the effect became much more subtle (to the right of the wet ones)

Here is the finished layer. I wish I had ironed it before taking the picture though.

Then I hand pleated the fabric. Not exact just quickly by hand and pressed it a bit to keep it pleated to alter the circle after it would be flattened out.

These are the stamps I used. Again, surplus store find with the black thing (it has a hole in the center that you can't see in this picture but you can tell from the stamping on the fabric.) Don't remember where I found the wire bit.

I stamped this layer with Lumiere Halo Violet Gold on the pleated fabric.

Then I unpleated it and ironed it flat for the completed piece (detail picture follows this one)

More stamps await me in my studio! I have plans for another piece tomorrow! See you then!

Stamp Challenge- part 1

LOVE TO STAMP

Ok, so I LOVE stamping - and I especially like to make my own stamps! So this was a fun challenge for me. For this part I decided to do the stamping as a complex cloth project. I started with a previously hand dyed piece of blue fabric. All stamping was done with acrylic paints. First I got out a package of heart shaped paper clips.




I sprayed a wooden block with Super 77 and then attached the clips.


Then I used a small paint roller to apply the medium blue paint and stamped the whole piece of fabric.

Heart stamped fabric - detail

Then I had a piece of hard rubber tubing (no idea what is was REALLY for but I saw it at a local surplus store and knew it would come in handy some day. I cut short lengths of it and cut some of them into half and third circles. Put double sided tape on the block and attached the circles and arcs. Didn't set out to do it but it ended up looking like X and O - hugs and kisses - LOVE TO STAMP! - get it?

Circles and arc stamped onto fabric.

Circle and arc stamp - detail. I love the way the heart stamp still shows through in places!

Got out another roller and put rubber bands around it.

Then I rolled it through the yellow paint and roller stamped it onto the fabric.

Rubber banded roller stamp - detail

So that is part one of my stamping challenge entry. I have made other stamps but ran out of time today to use them. More tomorrow!!!

New Beginnings

A group I belong to has a challenge for a quick project - just for fun. The theme is New Beginnings.


I wanted to try a new "toy" and technique. I don't have molding paste but I DID have vinyl spackling!!! I cut out the leaf shaped from wire mesh ribbon, laid it on muslin, spread the spackling on, trimmed the muslin around the wire mesh and the shaped it like I wanted it (pinned it to my muslin I use to paint on, etc.) and let it dry. Then I painted it with a whole bunch of different greens and a bit of gold Lumiere. Then let it dry again. Have to be careful because the leaves could lose their shape because the vinyl spackling is water soluble. But they maintained well enough.

Then I wrapped a real twig in three different fiber yarns and also used those same three yarns for the "grass"

I painted and then melted Tyvek for the flower and used an old piece of costume jewelry for the center.

The background is one I have been saving from a CCRR we did I can't remember when. Funny thing was.....before I found this piece of CCRR for the background I was wondering how I could also incorporate butterflies!! Then VOILA!! I found this piece that reminds me of a wrought fence AND it has butterflies on it!!!! How cool is that?????

So, here is my thinking behind the whole thing. New/Spring = flowers, of course, that's obvious. Butterflies are a new beginning from something not quite so beautiful into something very beautiful (I LOVE butterflies for just that reason) Also, a new "toy" and a new technique. I had a blast doing it!!

Yes, it's been a while

Why does life spiral out of control sometimes? Is it just me? Don't know but it DOES happen in my life once in a while. So, it has been some time since I have done anything worth posting, too. Maybe this is the beginning of a new start??? We'll see. My life priorities (mainly concerning family) have just changed drastically and I've yet to see where my art might fit in and when.

But for today -- In DyeHards we have a Complex Cloth swap. 8 pieces to do for the swap.

FIRST STEP - On all of them I started with a hand-dyed piece I already had on hand. Six of them are from a simple color wheel I had done and then I found two other pieces in my stash.

SECOND STEP - I wrapped a small roller with rubber bands, rolled them in DynaFlow (ones that went with the color of the original dyed fabric). Then I rollered the paint onto the cloth. This technique made interesting splotch marks on the cloth. Not what I was going for but, hey, that's what discovery is all about. In the end I really like the "deconstructed" look they gave.

THIRD STEP - Continuing with the deconstructed concept, I have styrafoam take out containers that have a cool circle and line pattern already embossed on them. I painted a different but coordinating color of DynaFlow in the styrafoam piece and stamped it randomly all over the cloth.

FOURTH STEP - I have a stencil called circles and stars. I placed this on the cloth and stenciled it with Lumiere paints that went with the color of the fabric. I didn't do this really precisely because I wanted to keep the deconstructed thing going.

Here first is a picture of one of the pieces opened up so you can see the overall pattern.

Here are the 8 pieces all folded and ready to package and ship to the swap hostess.

I must say it was very exciting and comforting to be back in the studio doing something creative! Hopefully, it won't be too long before I get back.