Starting new piece

I have started a new piece after plenty of mind design building during the last couple of weeks of family activities. Another large piece, fabric measures 2 metres x 115cm (79" x 45"). I decided to start with a grid of simple building outlines, and to get the layout right I used a builder's blue chalk line apparatus to achieve this. I have done this before and know that the chalk does not stain the fabric.

But before then I made a collagraph of my design ie cut out cardboard pieces and glued these on to another piece of cardboard. I gave it a couple of coats of shellac spray to protect the surfaces from any dye. This gets placed under the fabric, followed by a silk screening with thickened black Procion MX dye.

The cardboard collagraph. I have coloured the raised pieces so that I can just see them through the fabric.

Some test samples using the dye, and some pigment. I decided on the dye. This is not perfect printing, but I like the imperfections.

The blue chalk line placement grid in place.

Printing in progress...

Tis done, almost

My latest piece is now finished but not 'dusted', it has to have the hanging eyelets (grommets) punched. Will do so this week.

The borders in the image of my new piece look somewhat curved but in reality they are perfectly straight! Not sure how to adjust, if I can, the camera to take straight lines.

© Diana Parkes, 2010, HIGH RISERS, 125cm width x 90cm depth; 49" width x 35.5" depth. Procion MX dye, textile pigment; painting, layering, discharge, printing.

Back to Work

I am now ready to mount the latest piece. Following on from the previous piece which I mounted on to a canvas backing with painted borders, I set out to select the colour for the border for this new piece. I purchased a couple of paint test pots but neither proved suitable. A third choice however seems right.

To help make my colour choice I paint a L shape on to a piece of canvas then place this under a corner of the completed work. Standing back and viewing critically I can refine my choice. Eventually I will probably have quite a collection of these corners, some rejected, and others chosen!

My selection of painted corners so far.

I rejected this colour as too 'cold'.

This one looks much better and is my choice, so I invested in a one litre tin.

Here is the prepared canvas with its first coat of border paint. It looks rather wrinkled but this will be ironed out before I mount my piece on to it.

Exhibition Visit

My exhibition Fibre Reactive Expressions is now open at the Art Gallery Papakura. It will be there until August 7.

It has been a busy few days. I arrived in Papakura earlier in the day of the opening. I had not ever been to the gallery although I had seen images of it on the internet. And I had not met the Director, Emma, in person, so it was great to be able to do this. Emma has done a great job in displaying my work and I am delighted with how it looks, and the way the pre-exhibition communications have been handled. Because the gallery space is smaller than that where the work was first displayed (Expressions, Upper Hutt) three pieces didn't get hung. This is okay and, as I have said before, it pays not to be too precious about things as, at the end of the day, does it really matter - no! The opening that evening went very well, and there was a good crowd for my talk the following day, many people coming from quite some distance.

This has all been a most satisfying exercise. Thank you Emma and the Art Gallery Papakura!

Outside gallery window announcing the exhibitions, Art Gallery Papakura.

An exhibition view.

Opening function, me, third on the left.

Art Gallery Papakura

My exhibition time is nearly here. The work is to be installed this week, with the opening on Thursday evening. This is exciting and I am looking forward to seeing my work displayed in a new environment. It is a day's drive for me to get to Papakura but I have family in Rotorua so will make a stop-over there, then return to them for the weekend. A great time to catch up on everyone and to see how the grand children have grown since I last visited.

I won't be blogging again until I return and hopefully I will have lots of good reports as to how everything looks, and went, at the opening and talk. Stay tuned....

Art Gallery Papakura, 10 Averill Street, Papakura. Hours Monday to Friday 9am - 5 pm, Saturday 10am - 2 pm. My Fibre Reactive exhibition will be on display July 9 to August 7. I will be giving an artist talk on Friday, July 9, 11 am. All welcome! Exhibition sponsored by the Papakura Creative Communities Scheme.

Entrance. This shows the first gallery where my work will be, the second gallery is through the doorway in far wall.

Looking back to the entrance.

Photos courtesy of Art Gallery Papakura.

Snip and tear

Following on from Monday's blog about rejecting the top portion of the latest piece, it was a simple matter of making that snip and tearing the piece in two. No regrets. The abandoned piece is currently put away and may be re-visited at a later date. End of, moving on....

One of the advantages of working on the now half size piece is that I can manage it on my smaller printing table in the studio. It is warmer in my studio than in the garage where I have my larger printing table. What with our mid-winter weather it is very cold in there and not at all pleasant.

The retained piece is coming along nicely, looking good and is nearing completion. Here are a couple of details:

Major Shift

A major shift with my latest piece is about to happen. I did some further work on it over the weekend with very pleasing outcomes. So pleasing in fact that I am now keen to reject the top portion and proceed only with the lower. This seems to stand alone very nicely and with some more applications it should be a great outcome.

I frequently make such major shifts as this. It does pay not to be too precious about one's work. I could be upset about the time, effort and materials I have used in producing the portion I am about to reject, but prefer to see it as all part of working this piece. In other words, if I hadn't done what I have already done, I may not have achieved what I now have. Does that make sense!?

This shift came as a result of painting some figures on to my large screen with dye and water, as part of my original design. Once dry, I screened this on to the fabric with sodium alginate (manutex) and soda ash. Everything transferred beautifully....

Painted screen in place on the fabric which, at this point is covered with plastic to prevent any surplus dye spreading through. I also have paper templates for guidance under the screen.

Screen after printing, nothing much remains.