March 16, 2009

Dying

In the weekend I dyed this piece of fairly fine woollen fabric with Gum tree leaves I collected from the ground.  They were mostly red coloured.

Gum dying 001 16.03.09   

And this is a detail.  I was really pleased with the range of colours.

Gum dying 002 16.03.09 rs 

I used a slosh of aluminium foil dissolved in white vingar as a mordant .

March 12, 2009

Washing machine felting

Felting rs 

Well, not very felted, not even a little bit felted in fact.  But it looks quite cool with all the safety pins and ragged edges.  Back to the drawing board, after a cup of tea.

March 10, 2009

Felting

I have been trying to felt some pieces of previously dyed blanket

Hand felting rs 

without much success.  For this sample I cut narrow strips (about an inch wide), handwove them, stitched along the top to hold them together and tried to hand felt them.  And it fell apart.

To felt with pins rs 

Undaunted I cut some more strips, wider this time (about 4 cms) and wove and pinned them ready for the hot wash in the washing machine, with some other thing to increase the agitation.  Don't you love my great measurung system - a foot in both camps?

And I have been looking at the work of Ruth Hadlow - so cool.

February 17, 2009

Fabric Weaving

  Fabric weaving 001 rs 

Fabric weaving 002 rsFabric weaving 003 rs 

I wove this the other day on a piece of calico using pieces of old lace, net and torn or cut lingere.  Then I washed it so that the edges would fray and the fabric would tangle - which it dutifully did.

It has a lovely delicate tangled look, like my mind sometimes !!!!!!

February 11, 2009

Some process

Taita gum rs 

Yesterday I boiled up some gum tree bark, hoping I might get some orangey colour - thinking about the terrible fires in Australia.

Testing gum rs 

The pure colour is a sort of orangey/golden colour and when I added aluminium and copper it went a wonderful dark olive green.

I have some wool tops sitting in the pure colour to see what will happen.  I don't want to boil them and shock them so they felt and matt before I use them.  I will check them tomorrow.

February 10, 2009

Dyeing and Zorro

Dying 001 rs 

I still have silk wrapped around a punga tree and I am waiting to see what happens.  The branch against it on the outside has been rubbing against it in the wind and is leaving a mark.

Dying 002 rs 

I tried to put silk in my pohutukawa snake, cover it with plastic and anchor with stones.

Dying 003 rs 

I even tried to spray it with salt water - to no avail.  The wind just whipped it away.

Zorro in drawer rs 

And dear Zorro thought he might try sleeping in my batting drawer. 

February 05, 2009

More encaustic

  Encaustic ptg 1 rs 

This is a line up of all the work I did in the weekend.  I found two more as I was tidying.

Encaustic ptg 2 rs

This one has graphite with the wax.  It is really great because when the wax is heated the graphite can be pushed aound in the wax.

Encaustic ptg 3 

And this one has fabric in it.  The fabric is american scrim, really loosely woven guaze, and comes out through the surface.

February 03, 2009

Encaustic painting

Last weekend I went to an Encaustic painting course which was awesome.  We used layers of hot wax and pigment to create all sorts of images.   I my work I used fabric to try and layer and trap fabric and threads.

Encaustic ptg 1 rs 

This is the studio we worked in.  Diane is using a gas torch to heat her work.

Encaustic ptg 4rs 

Encaustic ptg 8rs   

This is a piece I did using my eco dyed fabrics and layering them within the wax.  There was a crack in the board with sort of became part of the composition.

Encaustic ptg 6rs 

Encaustic ptg 7rs 

And this is a piece with layered threads and small pieces of fabric. 

January 29, 2009

Thinking

Weaving blanket rs

I have cut up two pieces of blanket and woven them together and placed two strips of dyed silk beside them - thinking about felting and stitching.  The strips are about 3 inches wide - I am thinking I may cut them down and start really small.

January 28, 2009

My new work place

LS buildings rs 

Getting closer.......

CU buildings rs 

It is an ordinary government building from about 1960, very solid and sort of common and no leaks and no mould.  We have a lovely studio area and can watch wood pigeons flying and hear lots of tuis, bell birds and other native birds singing.  The grounds are awesome.  It is set on the Eastern Hills of the Hutt Valley and they are just covered in native bush.  I live on the Western Hills so it is just so close.

Duck pond rs 

And we have a duck pond with a Mr Duck who comes out at about noon I am told, and this morning it had the most beautiful reflections of the building and the hills behind it.

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