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Monday 18 April 2022

And Then Suddenly It Clicks

Whenever I have wanted to learn how to do something for a very long time and no matter what I've tried it hasn't worked and then suddenly it clicks and I can, it teaches me yet again that there is a time for everything and everything unfolds in its own time. No manipulation on my part is going to make some thing work out that just can't right now... and perhaps not ever... although I'm quite delighted when what I hoped for finally comes true. In this case, painting on fabric. 

My first exposure to surface design was with fabric dyeing in 1986 when I attended a workshop at Quilt Canada. I don't have to think too hard about the math since I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and she's turning thirty-six this year. Since then, I've tried variations of dyeing, stamping, stenciling, and painting while working on fabric, on paper, and on traditional canvasses and... nothing. Yesterday, the desire, the energy, and the direction connected and it worked and I am grateful. 





These images are NOT mine. They belong to the very talented Gayle Ortiz who I met at my first Design Outside the Lines retreat in 2012. How I see them has changed. Before, I would look at them and I couldn't figure out how she did that and why she could do it and I couldn't. Now when I look at them, I see them with educated eyes who know more about layering techniques and mono printing and building up colours and I not only see how she did them but how I can do my own versions... which is how I spent yesterday afternoon - mono printing in black and white. The right time is definitely one part of the mix and so is education. I was ready to learn and to practice.  





My first attempts are lining the hallway upstairs. I decided to work with just black and white and to start with the 15" squares of cotton fabric left over from prepping for the retreat. I planned to use the 6" x 6" gelli plate my friend lent me so I cut each square into four 6-inch-ish squares, two rectangles, and a long strip. 





When I have a tube that I can't squeeze any more product out of  - like make-up - or in this case paint - I cut the end off and get it out from there. It amazes me how much product I would have wasted if I'd thrown the tube away instead. With this paint, I used it all up in this session but once, with foundation, I kept track and it lasted another six weeks. I use a kitchen clip to seal the end so it won't dry up. 





I wanted to do more pieces at once so instead of the smaller gelli plate, I used the painting surface I made with cardboard, batting, and plastic. I started with lighter values and worked up to darker ones. The two pieces to the right are the fabric that I rolled the excess paint off my brayer onto. Since they're natural muslin, I could see how the same colour looked on a different background and it helped to determine if the colour I'd just mixed was darker than the previous one or not. If I rolled the mix on and it looked the same as what was already there, I could add more black. 





These are the twenty-four six-inch-ish squares. Each of them has at least three layers of paint and some have more. I loved the responding aspect of creating these. If whatever I tried didn't work, I could just add another layer and see what happened. That's exactly what I was hoping for - the journey of not knowing, happenstance, responding, what if, how can I, and all those other creative questions. 





This is one of the natural muslin pieces with colours on it  even though I didn't use any colour. Old paint was dried onto a glass surface from a previous painting session and I followed this old wall technique to see what I could pull off. More happenstance. 





When mixing the paints, I added a textile medium to keep the fabric soft and to help the paint adhere. With the rectangles, I also added some gel medium. I'm curious to see if there is any difference in the end and how using it might be useful for handbags. Could gel medium make the fabric more washable or durable in some way? Also, by extending the paint, did I use less paint and would using a medium be less expensive or just another product? The paints were student grade Liquitex. I'll experiment with different brands including textile specific paints to see what gives the best results for the least amount of money. I want strong pigments that hold their colour, the minimal number of products and steps, and the wisest financial choice.  





I wanted the strips to have a striped look and really like the top four. The second from the bottom was done with a stencil that didn't work too well. I added more stripes over that which helped to improve it. The bottom one could probably use a bit more work but I'm going to wait and see how I use it. Coloured thread would also add detail. Thread is one way of mark making on fabric. 

This morning, I'll iron all the pieces to set the paint and then get to work on another bag prototype. I am going to make one for myself for the exhibit opening since I finished the skirt and don't like the fabric. The style is great. I've made it several times before. The fabric has a cheap-curtain feel to it that I just don't want to wear. I didn't notice it in the yardage or in the handbag I showed in the last post but it's very there in the skirt so I'm going to cut it up, make it into a bag, and wear it with something different. 

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - and then, suddenly, it clicks

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