Blue and Yellow Landscapes continued

In a previous post I showed some of my colour experiments on paper. I liked some of the accidental landscapes that I found within the experiments, particularly those with unnatural, or unexpected colours so I used this blue and yellow piece to inspire a printed textile. 

To be more accurate, it inspired 3 printed textile pieces. I didn't intend to start 3 pieces but I was struggling to recreate the same effect on fabric as I had on paper. 

               

                              

 

When I thought I knew how the process could be improved, I started another piece. Maybe the effect I was looking for would be achieved if I kept some slack in the fabric and didn't pin it so tightly?

 

Maybe if I wet the fabric first, then the colours would blend more easily and I'd achieve what I was looking for?

 

 

But non of them seemed to quite hit the mark and if you're thinking that they all look pretty similar and you can't differentiate between the different techniques, then you're not alone - nor can I!

 

I can't say that I'm particularly fond of any of them at the moment but I do know that it's very, very rare for me to be happy with a piece of cloth that has only had one process or printing session. So I'm not giving up yet. Next, I will try to protect some of the yellow dye and over print with a much darker blue to see what happens. I'll let you know.

Missing the boat?

It's funny how things turn out sometimes. I was looking at my stash of dyed fabric and in particular a grey piece which, like my green piece, was inspired by a barge on the Rhine. I really didn't like the boat and no amount of markal stik or overprinting was going to make me like it. But I did like the texture I had created on the 'water' and I was disappointed that this texture was going to go to waste. So I decided to cut out the section of fabric with the boat on. What had I got to lose? I looked back at the my misty photographs, found another I liked (no boat in sight!) and doodled with my markal stiks. 

I liked the way the piece was developing so I stitched the two pieces of fabric back together and developed the drawing further. I've fiddled refined my drawing until I was in danger of ruining it, so I've decide to stop here. I do want to add some stitch but not sure how or where yet.

I have backed it with this fabric, which I dyed some time ago. Although I like this textural marks on this cloth I couldn't really see me using it on the front of a piece, much better to use I thought.

I need to give this stitching some thought but will concentrate on the 'green piece' first .Both pieces I hope to include in the Hue exhibition. More of the exhibition later but in the meantime, do have a look at the exhibition flyer on the left hand side of the blog.