Testing, testing....

I like to tidy up my workspace after having decided that a work is finished. It makes for a good fresh start when thinking about the next piece.

I am often impressed with my sample cloths which are used for testing colours, applications and other such things. Because they are of no consequence, applications are rather willy-nilly. Somehow, they often turn out quite good. Here are three which I have pasted into my workbook.

Testing, testing...

Testing times indeed for New Zealand. Many thanks for your messages of support and concern. These are much appreciated.

Putting aside the tragedy here for a moment, I have finally done something I wanted to do for quite sometime. I decided to experiment with different substrates for the techniques I use in producing my art.

Set up ready to go. Left: paper (sketch book). Middle: my favourite silk/linen cloth from Thai Silks, USA. Right: cotton duck.

Each application was repeated at the same time on to all the substrates.

The final outcome. This is not an exercise in 'great art' but an attempt to record how different dyes, paints, techniques responded. I shall publish my thoughts in the next blog.

Testing times indeed for New Zealand. It is difficult knowing how one can help when living in other, unaffected, areas of NZ. Donations are important but there has to be more. Yesterday I realised I had a collection of co-ordinated hand-dyed cotton fat quarters left over from my previous business. I now plan to purchase some wadding and turn these pieces into cot size quilts. Autumn is around the corner, followed by winter. It will be cold.

Testing, testing

Okay. I've done it! Here is my first attempt with my BIG screen. This is an exercise in process rather than content. My intentions are to use this screen for printing lengths of fabric, and for one-off art pieces.

The screen is propped up with blocks so that the mesh is not touching the printing table underneath. I have mixed some black Procion MX dye with water, and then painted the circles on to the mesh, and left it to dry.

The dry screen resting on soda ash soaked calico (muslin) and the corners secured with clamps.

Clear sodium alginate resting in long side well. It is usual to screen from the short ends with a squeegee that reaches across the width and I may evenually obtain one of these.

Here I am about to do a second run with the squeegee. The sodium alginate does get contaminated with the colours painted on to the screen and I save this in a container labelled as such. This can be used as a basis for mixing a coloured sodium alginate at a later date, the amount of contamination doesn't seem to affect the new colour - it can often improve it! I could of course have screened this piece with a coloured sodium alginate but it is a only test piece.

All done! Washing the dye residue off the screen with garden hose on high pressure.

The printed calico (muslin) batching to set the dyes.

Close up of printing. The sodium alginate shows up as wet on the undyed fabric. Camera flash light reflexing off lower centre circle.

And here is the outcome, washed and ironed. Certainly not inspirational but the 'doing' was the intent here.

78 days to my exhibition