sycamore leaf dye-pot

I've spent a productive few hours in the studio today. Put this piece of silk (yes, silk!) into a dye-pot of sycamore leaves.
The silk came from Lynn, who's on the same textiles course as me. So as it's second-hand, it's ok for me to use. Feels ethical. It's a salmon pink colour....not a colour I'd choose, but it will be interesting to see how that changes with the dye bath. Hopefully it will mute it; make it more sludgy. This may be the only time I want a dye to make the fabric go 'sludgy'!
I also began planning what I want to do when the textiles course starts again in 2 weeks time. We have to create 6 sample pieces, all A3 size. So I'm trying to think about how I might use the techniques we cover each week; and use the class to make pieces reflecting my interests.

winter jasmine

Last weekend; more snow.
Me walking out to buy basics and cat food from the local shop.
Dressed in hat, gloves, kagoule, walking boots, waterproof trousers I set out in the slippy, slidey snow.
It was hard work.

Today; most of the snow has gone. Some piled high in the hedgrows, out where it's colder, and the temperatures are lower.
But today we've had sun. Full, bright sun, the sort that warms through! Hurray!
This has been such a long, cold winter. I want spring, and sunlight, and sun-warmth. To not need to wear boots all the time. To cast off some layers of fleeces, and thick socks! Mmmmmmmm.
So here is the last of the winter jasmine, hopefully indicating winter is finally moving, and we can start to make tentative steps into the Spring. I hope so. 

'Halo Moon;Be Alone'

A painting from 2008, when I was busy creating a series of artworks reflecting the lunar year. Thirteen artworks for 13 months. It took me longer than 13 months to complete the set!
This is a big painting on canvas, so I asked the Well Women Centre in Wakefield if they'd like me to donate it to them, as they've recently moved premises, and have some gorgeous big walls to fill.
And there it hangs.

collography and stirch #2

Above is one of the collography prints on paper; in Textiles yesterday I used the sewing machine, and stitched into it. I used a 'foot' that creates loops of stitches. Gives a gorgeous textured surface to the paper!
Below is the plate I printed from; nylon rope pieces, and some lace/net.

mercury retrograde!

                                                           

My friend Shannon sent me this!

I love it!

And today is the last day of this period of Mercury Retrograde! 

Hurray.

collograph print #2

I've just completed my first prints using the second plate I made for collography printing. Above are 2 prints on 100% cotton water-colour paper. The one on the left is the first inking. I deliberately put a small amount of ink on it, to try and vary the intensity of the black. I'm aiming to have a bit more space in the prints, for when I come to stitch onto them later. The second print, I added more ink, and it's quite different. I like the way that a simple act such as the amount of ink on the plate, can have such different effects.

Below; is the print on fabric.
I've used the cotton/linen fabric I've recently dyed using eucalyptus leaves. The fabric without he soya-milk mordant. Again, you can see slight differences in the inked up design.

And here is a close-up of the eucalyptus dyed fabric, showing the print on the right hand side.
I was aiming to include the rust brown splodge (a technical term this) to add tone, and depth of colour to the flat print. I'm pleased with that. Be interesting to see it when it's dry, and I can explore using stitches on it. I think the fact that there's more space in it, will prevent that over-busy look of the earlier collagraphy print I did on fabric.

eucylptus dye #2

 

Top photo is the first dyeing of cotton/linen mix fabric, from a eucalyptus dye-pot.There is a shadow from the washing line! But there is a nice linear pattern come through, due to the folding of the fabric. I wanted to get away from that fixed 'line'. Wanted to make the dye more random, and irregular.
So....I put it into an second dye-pot of eucalyptus. 
Result, below.

It's darkened the fabric. It's softened the lines that had dyed into it. Which is better. Though I have looked onto India Flint's blog, here, where she says that boiling eucalyptus for more than an hour, releases kino, and makes the dye turn more brown. 
So...I think I've been boiling the eucalyptus for too long. Mmmmm; this is the interesting thing about dyeing with plants. You never stop learning, and never stop finding different ways of using plants. I'll try boiling for a shorted time now.