The gorgeous weather of the last few days has enabled me to crack on with a few things that need a bit of heat to help things along. First up is a dress form that my friend Joan gave me as a swap for a bread machine we never used. I think I got the best end of the deal and I've started to papier mache onto it. So far, I've only put on a couple of layers but the sun has already dried it out nicely. Now, I'm going to build up the neck and arms and decide whether to keep it short or add panels to make a full length figure. I have an inkling to make a corset for it and drape lots of fabric strips from the waist using it as a way to display samples and make a complete piece at the same time. Don't know what will happen next at this stage. Knowing me it will evolve in fits and starts until I'm happy with it. Still quite a few layers, sanding, priming and painting to go before I have to commit myself too far......
The hot weather also kick started the rust dyeing samples I'm working on as part of the group work my friends and I have started. We're beginning with the task of each producing as many samples as we can from a metre of calico. We all have different strengths and interests so we will no doubt all come up with different methods and surprise each other - which is the point of the exercise. We want to share and learn from each other as well as push and persuade each other to try new things. I have dyed some of my samples with tea and coffee and then overdyed with rust. The picture below shows a couple of pieces filled with steel wool and rolled like a swiss roll. I put them out yesterday afternoon and washed them out about 20 hours later. They have both taken on a similar colouring.
This is the result so far. I put some copper headed nails into the tray but they did not have the desired effect - probably not copperised at all? Hmm? I wonder where I can get some good copper wire to try with? Will have to find some.
One of the stakes in my garden is a small metal bird shape that has rusted nicely over winter so I laid a piece of scoured calico on top of it, soaked in vinegar and left it in a clear plastic bag for 24 hours. This is the result. In real life it looks much clearer and there are some lovely rust marks in the centre of it. Question is now - what shall I do to these samples next? Shall I leave them or use another medium on top again....
The other day I was reading about an artist called
Lorraine Glessner. She takes fabric, wraps garden waste with it and then composts it for a while. When the fabric is to her liking she wraps it around a frame, collages onto it, distresses it further and then covers it in layers of encaustic. Have a look at her work and read her
blog. She sounds like a fascinating artist and I am taken with her idea of 'found pictures'. Something I shall be taking further too! So many ideas, so little time!
The hot weather also kick started the rust dyeing samples I'm working on as part of the group work my friends and I have started. We're beginning with the task of each producing as many samples as we can from a metre of calico. We all have different strengths and interests so we will no doubt all come up with different methods and surprise each other - which is the point of the exercise. We want to share and learn from each other as well as push and persuade each other to try new things. I have dyed some of my samples with tea and coffee and then overdyed with rust. The picture below shows a couple of pieces filled with steel wool and rolled like a swiss roll. I put them out yesterday afternoon and washed them out about 20 hours later. They have both taken on a similar colouring.
This is the result so far. I put some copper headed nails into the tray but they did not have the desired effect - probably not copperised at all? Hmm? I wonder where I can get some good copper wire to try with? Will have to find some.
One of the stakes in my garden is a small metal bird shape that has rusted nicely over winter so I laid a piece of scoured calico on top of it, soaked in vinegar and left it in a clear plastic bag for 24 hours. This is the result. In real life it looks much clearer and there are some lovely rust marks in the centre of it. Question is now - what shall I do to these samples next? Shall I leave them or use another medium on top again....
The other day I was reading about an artist called Lorraine Glessner. She takes fabric, wraps garden waste with it and then composts it for a while. When the fabric is to her liking she wraps it around a frame, collages onto it, distresses it further and then covers it in layers of encaustic. Have a look at her work and read her blog. She sounds like a fascinating artist and I am taken with her idea of 'found pictures'. Something I shall be taking further too! So many ideas, so little time!