If you missed my first installment sharing the results of a 4-day class on Botanical Printing and Natural Dye, just click here to be all caught up. A reminder that I am not showing everything I did in this class, just the pieces that I found the most exciting and that I can see using in future art pieces.
The example below, shown in two images, was one piece of silk noil fabric with half of the piece being covered in an iron-dipped cotton cloth. I love the results on both halves. The first photograph is the side with the iron blanket. The prints of the leaves are sharp, though the pigment transfer did not highlight veins of the leaves, except in the far right leaf. I really like the subtle color background on this fabric — it’s uneven and has a dreamy, quiet feel. The iron blanket prints were unsatisfactory so I won’t show it here.
The leaves on this side of the fabric were dipped in an iron solution. The veins are well defined in these prints. The colors that came from the leaves varied — there is brown, gray, black, yellow and violet here! A wonderful mix that has great possibility! Again, I have some splotching where the iron solution dripped from the leaves while they were being placed on the fabric. This is one yummy piece of fabric!
I almost passed on the opportunity to print with this next fabric, a silk jersey dyed with logwood. This is not a fabric I would ever choose to work with. It slips and slides just looking at it. But boy, am I ever glad I did! The prints that I got are incredibly clear on both the silk and the cotton that was dipped in iron solution. Thank you, Kristy, for that gentle nudge in the right direction.
I’ve taken two images of this piece of fabric to better show the prints. I love the sharpness of the prints, the variety of colors and the bonus of having two great images of each leaf. I will stabilize the jersey fabric with Pellon Shirt Taylor before I incorporate it in my work.
Stay tuned for part three. I think you’ll discover some nice surprises.
These are yummy! I especially love the silk, of course.
I loved working with the silk too. I will be experimenting with cotton next.
lovely!!
Thank you Suzanne.
How fun, and so beautiful. Love what you do. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks Kay. I had such fun learning this!