Screening the two strips

My silk/linen fabric order from Thai Silks, USA, has arrived. It took just six days from ordering to its arrival here in NZ. Definitely no complaints there. As I rolled it on to a cardboard tube I contemplated how all this lovely white fabric might end up, all transformed into something stunning (or not!?).

There has been more progress on my two long strip pieces.

Here I have placed my very large silk screen over the two strips. The strips themselves are covered with pieces of glass (edges taped for safety) and the frame is just a few millimetres or fractions from the glass. Viewing the design already on the strips I can reliably paint on the screen with a dye wash.

Once the dyes on the screen had dried I lifted the screen off so that I could remove the glass pieces. I sometimes wonder whether I will ever forget to do this, and screen everything on to the glass!

Here is the screen after screening with a dye colour mixed with sodium alginate (manutex).

More next blog.....

Two long strips....

In my last blog I mentioned that I had ordered more of my favourite silk/linen fabric from Thai Silks in the USA. Hopefully this will arrive sometime this week. While checking through my fabric stocks before I knew that I had to make this order, I discovered that all I had left of this fabric was two long strips 14cm/5.5" wide, obviously off-cuts from earlier works. Initially I returned these into storage... and then had second thoughts. These two pieces could offer a nice challenge.

So.... after placing them side-by-side lengthways on my display wall and contemplating them for a few days, I made a start.

First I printed a block design that I had prepared sometime ago. Pieces of dense foam were stuck on to a block with double-sided carpet tape (which is so sticky there needs to be a warning!). I then added some printed circles. Both applications are with thickened Procion MX on to the soda ash soaked fabric. It is somewhat difficult to see these long strips of fabric because of the background, but they will show up better next time.

Next I painted some coloured shapes on to a silk screen, and once dry these were screened on to the fabric.

Getting serious again

In New Zealand we are coming to the end of our annual summer holidays. Schools will be returning soon and radio/TV programmes are reverting to their normal routines after the alternative programmes which, I might say, I do enjoy. However, it is always good to get back into familiar routines, a very human thing perhaps. And our weather hasn't been too bad this week. Once again I am wondering whether summer has finally arrived, but then I have thought that many times over the last couple of months.

All this leads up to that I am about to start on some new work. I have of course been working since my exhibition last October/November, I have completed two in my series on well-known women artists, and have played with a few other things. But it is time to get serious again and prepare for happenings in 2010. I have now ordered more linen/silk fabric from Thai Silks, USA, as of all the silks I have used this heads the list as the favourite. As usual, Thai Silks has great customer service and within 24 hours I am informed that my shipment is on its way. It may seem extreme to get this fabric from such distant shores but it is unavailable here.

In the meantime I have been playing on some muslin/calico and although not intended as a 'proper' piece, there are a couple of segments which have worked okay.





These will probably be cut up and the best bits placed into a work book.

Exhibition Visit

Last week was a very cultural week. I had not been to Pataka Museum of Arts & Cultures, Porirua, for awhile and all the exhibitions were new. I timed my visit so that I could attend a talk by American Academic, Joelene Rickard (Tuescarora Nation lineage), titled Art History and the American Indian Programme. She is an artist and art historian from Cornell University, and has been active in curating American Indian exhibitions. While in Canada last year I spent time viewing such exhibitions so her talk gave me an additional insight into what I had seen.
An artist and Associate Professor (photography), Joelene informs her students that they have to take 10,000 photographs before they start seeing, taking photographs that are uniquely from their own vision. Until then, they are simply photographing what everyone else has photographed already.
I wonder whether we could apply this to our own textile works. The quantities could be reduced somewhat, say 100+, and after that perhaps, just maybe, we would be working with our own artistic voice. Worth some thought, I feel.

On display in the Blue Pacific Gallery at Pataka is new works from the Port Nicholson Handweavers, until 14 February. This local group consistently produces work of a high standard.

Other exhibitions are Mua ki Muri, six contemporary Maori Artists (February 7); Sleight of Hand, impressive charcoal drawings by Lorene Taurerewa (February 7); Matawhero: Bullet Holes and Bandages by Peter Adsett (March 14); and Dispora, six contemporary New Zealand Artists (January 31).

Shane Cotton, Eden to Ohaeawai 1998 - 2000



Lorene Taurerewa, charcoal drawing

Art images from Pataka website

Final Dots....

Here I have painted the final bit on the blank silk screen. The fabric piece is placed under a sheet of glass (with edges taped for safety) and the screen is resting on small blocks on top of the glass. The fabric piece is visible through the screen and I can be quite specific where and what I paint on the screen.

This is the result of screening on the fabric - it fits perfectly (of course!).

The above photo is pretty good but in reality I have a little concern that the tonal values of the bottom bit are too close, particularly when viewed at a distance. To help me make a decision on this I photocopied this area using the 'grey scale'. It doesn't look too bad and I may just leave it. However, if I do decide to do something about it I can discharge the lower bottom area. The dots here are turquoise which is the only fiber reactive dye colour that will not discharge, but the blue background would become paler.

The tonal value photocopy.

I will put this piece away and think about it again in due course. This piece is the second in my series on well-known artists whose work I admire. And just in case you haven't worked out who this piece represents, it is the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama who describes herself as 'the modern Alice in Wonderland'. As with my Frida Kahlo piece I am attempting to acknowledge their work and produce a hybrid using my own personal style and input.

Going Dotty... continued

As predicted the somewhat washed out colours on the screen printed much brighter on the fabric.

The lower portion masked off with freezer paper.

Back to the screen which was painted with a colour wash.

Once printed this blended the top portion which now looks much better.

Here I have discharged the colours at the bottom which were previously masked off.

Yet more to come......keep tuned!

Going dotty....

My next work is to feature dots. I find the concentration of a single unit quite restrictive so aim to loosen things up a bit. Earlier this week, without much direction in mind, I worked with dots on paper. Sometimes just making a start, however vague, gets the ideas flowing. Some of the initial ideas may get abandoned and it is important not to regards these as a waste of time. Everything, whether eventually used or not, is of value, and should be regarded as part of the journey.

The outcome of my exercise, paper and felt pen.

I made a cartoon of the original dots to match the size of the silk screen I wished to use. The cartoon was placed under the screen which was supported on small blocks so that the screen and cartoon did not touch. I started painting in some of the areas with a dye and water mix (Procion MX).

A second and third colour have been added. These colours, at this stage dry on the screen, look very weak but I know they will be stronger when printed. The overlapping of the colours around the dots also made very nice halos which aren't visible in the photo.

The final colour added.

Now.... to be continued....