The last couple months have been quiet in some ways...I've not being creating a lot of new work, mostly getting small items ready for summer gift shops, finishing some half started work, entering a few shows and having a ton of fun with our grandchildren! Swimming, walking, kayaking and just hanging out at the beach.
But....after a long hiatus of teaching due to some amazing travel opportunities, I returned to the classroom and spent three wonderful days at Quilt University with the Ann Arbor Quilt Guild.
My first workshop was Colour Blocking - using thickened dyes through a silk screen and printing onto prepared fabrics. It was so much fun - enthusiastic students, a great workspace and wonderful printing!
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| You can see the wonderful combinations possible when mixing the dye on the screen. |
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| Lana marked the fabric with yellow before screening on top. |
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| We pin the fabric on a print table to keep it stable. |
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| Arlene has a great colour combination going! Analogous colours are a great way to start. |
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| Dee Dee is drawing onto the fabric prior to printing - another technique choice! |
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| It's possible to move the scraper to create patterns! |
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| I supplied the students with fabric that I'd painted with black paint. since the workshop was just one day it worked out very well to have something extra to print on! |
On Days 2 and 3 the students worked in Squiggle, Line & Dot Mark Making, learning a few of the limitless ways to put pattern and texture onto fabric and paper.
We begin by using just one tool to find as many ways as possible to apply black paint to white fabric...
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| Here's some of the ways you can mark with just one tool! |
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| and here's a few more ways.... |
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| And still more.... |
Remember that there's such beauty in simplicity....repeating the same over and again creates timeless patterns!
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| We worked with black textile markers, they are so versatile! Did you know that you can buy refillable ones? |
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| Sometimes we had to wait and let the fabrics dry...that was hard to do! |
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| And not just black on white...you can work with white paint onto dark fabrics too! |
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I think all the students would agree that the most fun was working outside. Students taped their brushes to yard sticks or poles and let their movements make their marks! First we practised on paper...
And then we worked on two yard pieces of fabric!
Doesn't that look like fun!
On the second day we focused on using some of the fabrics for small books, cards, folios and such. I like students to leave class with more skills and ideas for creating their art!
I am excited for my students to see some of the options for making art!
If you like to join me...why not take my Squiggle, Line & Dot Online Workshop HERE:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/615595100/squiggle-line-dot-online-mark-making?ref=shop_home_feat_1
2 comments:
It was a fun 3 days and we all felt like we learned some new techniques! Thanks Susan, for these photos! Katie McGrath
Fabulous classes. Ideas came so fast it was hard to even get to sleep at night. Thanks for the great class, Susan.
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