Last week, I ran out of thread on a piece of art I was stitching on. Rather than take a whole day and drive an hour away to buy thread, I opted for an internet order instead. Of course! the company only had one spool of a color I needed, I found out later, and of course, I need more than one, so yes, I will be making that 1 hour trek in a couple of weeks, but I made a lunch and outing date with a friend, so driving an hour for thread won’t be all that I am doing that day. Oh, the down side of rural living…even if I do love it!
In the meantime, there is plenty for me to do while I wait for the thread….so I got started on making some prints on cloth. These will be deconstructed prints. First I had to create the screens. I smeared a few colors of dye paint onto the back of blank silk screens, then pushed objects that will create designs and texture into the paint. Then let dry for however long it takes. Purchased screens or homemade screens using framing wood pieces that lock together…it’s all good. I have learned something about making the homemade screens though. Do not use polyester sheers…they STRETCH! And you won’t like it. Use nylon material to avoid this. I am going to have to re-do some of my screens.
While I had the dye and the bubble wrap out, I decided to play. I do that a lot…try something new…see what happens. I laid my dry soda soaked cotton over the bubble wrap (to see how to soda soak cotton, see my tutorial on the sidebar), then laid a blank screen over it and pulled prints.
This deposits quite a bit of paint on the cloth, hence the following “monoprint”.
Since these two pieces use the same colors, they can be used together in something, but there is variation in the cloth.
I still need to finish one piece of cloth before I put my stuff away…maybe today!
But right now, I am making Mounds balls. ;=)
Awesome textures and colors!
Really neat!! Due to your inspiration, I am working on my first paint cloth. After using it to clean brushes, wipe my hands and clean up messes, I started printing on it with bubble wrap and a couple stamps. So much fun! I think it’s ready to be stitched on. Yeah! See you soon!
Thanks, Susan…wait til you see my deconstructed prints…I have the photos taken but not loaded to computer yet.
Lynda…YOU are too funny, ie. “working on my first paint cloth”! Like it takes work! I adore my paint rags. I have turned them into a whole series of art…they will all be in my show in October. Can’t wait to see your first paint cloth when you get it finished. Maybe by the 4th?
My problem is being raised by grandparents who NEVER threw anything away! I need to do more mixed media work to get some of the stuff out of here!
Yep, those colors are pretty nice…I am working with Curry, Terra Cotta, and the green is something that has been mixed all winter…dont’ know how it will come out when washed. I used Terra Cotta, Curry and Chartreuse on the deconstructed screens. It is a very nice color scheme.
Kathy, I really enjoy your “sense of play”. Thanks for sharing your photos and the processes you go through!
Sharon, you are most welcome. I guess I do it this way because it usually takes me FOREVER to get around to a finished product to show. This way I share the process, which is the part I love anyway!
When I taught school, primary art, I would take photos as I worked up samples to display the process for my students on the bulletin board. They loved seeing what we were doing in stages. Now, I take workshops in fiber art, photo the steps and take notes. When I get home I type and write everything up in “book” form, print it out and put it in a 3 ring binder. Really helps when going back to review my notes and work independently on my own.