From paper to digital printing back to printing with dyes

Again, it's been a while since I last posted. I have been progressing some ideas but have been doing a lot of thinking about my work and that of others. I have bought a number of books, been inspired by some and struggled to stay awake reading some of the 'art speak' in others but the time has come (passed?) to just get on and do it.

I have been progressing some of the Van Gogh inspired ideas I posted about here.  I particularly liked the effect created by tearing and layering torn paper and so used the technique to create background texture which could be used  as the basis  for one or more of my salt flat pieces.  

Printing, tearing and layering the papers takes time but I was pleased with the results and so decided to get it digitally printed onto fabric in different sizes so that I could use for a number of samples and also to get previous collages printed onto fabric. I had my images printed by Bags of Love who seem to print everything it's possible to print. It's difficult to see from the photograph but on fabric they looked a dull bluey grey and not the light creams, beiges and browns of my paper collage.

As digital printing wasn't giving me the effect I wanted, I decided to go back to printing with my dyes and to create my own thermofax based on torn pieces of paper. 

To add additional texture and salty crustiness to the pieces I also created this spotty thermofax screen....

And so the printing began. I am quite pleased with the fabrics I have created so far and will show you then in my next post as they are still wet at the moment (I promise the gap between my posts won't be quite so long next time).

But just before I go, I wondered if any of you saw this on the BBC web site: Art and Fear? I had read this story before but it was a timely reminder to me to 'just get on with it'. It's interesting, do have a look.