One Week Left

Just one week left before all my work has to be spick and span ready for marking for the end of year three. I've spent most of this week sorting out and tidying up, cleaning the space and making final decisions about positions of everything in relation to everything else and sorting out technical problems with light and projector and film sound.

My studio is looking a bit empty in these photos. I've got so used to all the clutter of excess branches, baskets of wool, work table, wood shavings and scraps of fleece. Today I had to get everything possible off the floor so it could be washed. I want my white silk warp to drape and drizzle on the floor and I want it to STAY white!

I still have to get something up to block the sunlight out so that my film projection is visible.... Just as well there's still one week before hand in.

Walnut Ink

I am determined - I am going to do a silk screen print with home made walnut ink.
 So far I have tried two mixes of colour extracted from the green walnut husks I gathered on campus at Moray School of Art. The first try was far too liquid; although the colour was good and intense it just ran through the screen into puddles on my paper. So then I tried mixing some with acrylic silk screen medium. This worked to an extent, but the colour was too pale now.

So I have spent the evening pulverising more husks in an old coffee grinder, soaking the resulting powder in a wee bit of water then straining the dark juice out with a sweet old tea strainer. Although green walnuts (husk and all) are edible as a pickle, I am being cautious and only using tools and equipment that I reserve for dyeing.
I have the nearly full enamel milk pan simmering on my wood stove now to try and reduce the walnut ink down and make it thicker and stronger. It smells rather interesting! I'm not sure if I like it or not....
If this simmering doesn't make my ink thick enough, I have plans to try thickening it up with corn starch or gelatine, or even seaweed! Lets hope tonight's experiment works - I'm running out of time, we only have three more weeks before we have to hand in our work for the printing block!

Studio Practice

I am settling into "Studio Practice" at Moray School of Art; it's starting to feel like I'm heading in an interesting direction through my explorations with printmaking, and just generally finding my feet in this second year. My studio space is constantly evolving and changing, and my tutor suggested that I keep a record by taking photos each time I take stuff down, put stuff up or just shuffle things around as I make new connections. This is the first photo of my evolving visual thought process, complete with pictures and quotes from artists who inspire me, and a whole mix of mono-printing, eco-printing, transfer printing and notes/mind maps. Bit of a jungle really, but sense of purpose is emerging gradually!

Looking at this photo, I notice that I haven't taken down the bright orange number two that told me which was my space in the room! Must get rid of it and put my name up instead.

As for the "Make do and Mend" mission - my jeans are still holding up!

The next part needing darning and reinforcing is the backside.... As you can see, it was getting a wee bit thin here and there!

Time to step away from the laptop and pick up the needle again...

Eco- printing

L to R - black turtle beans and rusty tacks; spice tea and tacks; steamed walnuts; steamed black turtle beans.

We are doing printing this semester, and I decided to experiment with eco-printing as part of my exploration. I am thrilled by the colour and pattern you can get from simple materials and methods. Next I plan on over-printing with other plants on top of some of these.
I was fascinated to see that my cold-wrapped Black Turtle beans SPROUTED during the week I left them to release their colour! No, I hadn't meant to leave these 4 bundles for a whole week, but I went down with a coldy virus and was at home in bed while my bundles mouldered at uni... I just about needed gloves and a mask to open the other 3 bundles as they were VERY mouldy and slimy. Considering the yuckyness of the bundles as I opened them, I am very pleased with the end results!

Brambles and Rust

More Eco dye experiments over on my Flickr stream.

The Wings of Imagination

'Give me wings that I might fly'

Caught on a sunbeam

My wings in their final position over my bed

After hours and hours of work my wings are finally finished. This photo shoot was done at a local beach where there are some magic caves and cliffs.

Work in progress

Free machining on silk

Dye vat with birch bark

Dyed fabrics with free machined feathers. Still more work to do....