More library samples

The following are:-
1 - Skin of 2 layers of non-porous ground + 1 layer of gel medium. Printed using the 'print to torn edge method of Krause et al.
2 - non-porous ground on polypropylene sheeting (medium weight). The bands are a product of the printer head being clogged with ink in some way and the problem was alleviated by carrying out a print head clean from the printer utilities menu.
3 - As above with gel medium to give texture to the surface.
4- print of image on frosted plastic of some sort, from a high quality carrier bag, on non-porous ground. The printed layer can be peeled off very easily and so needs to be fixed to stabilise it with a top coat. It has a very frosted ghostly sheen and transparency.

Samples of digital printing onto diverse surfaces.

This is a sample library of some of the surfaces I have attempted to print onto...
Things we can easily print onto now:
cheap paper (can give good results when treated with a digital ground)
watercolour paper - various weights
Tyvek
waxed paper
cheap aluminium foil
acetate
brown paper
paper bags
plastic table cloth covering
plastic table cloth covering with applied muslin
skin of acrylic paint
skin of acrylic gel
aluminium sheet
brown paper
acetate with gel medium applied
standard fabrics - silk, organza, hessian, canvas
ironed bubble wrap
plastic bags (various qualities)
screen printer's plastic
dyed fabrics (eg., rust stained silk)
AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING...
1 Rough watercolour paper - Digital ground (DG) gloss clear
2 Calico, raw, not washed - DG gloss clear
3 Tyvek before heat treatment - DG non porous
4 Hessian (quite dark colour hessian) - DG gloss clear (right) DG white mat (left)
5 Cotton mix (rust dyed before printing) - DG clear gloss (left) DG not coated (right)
6 Organza - Where there is detail DG non-porous was used (centre elsewhere ink has spread and blurred)
7 High quality plastic bag - DG non porous (there is also a red rectangle where bag was printed red, and the roller marks can be clearly seen = NOT GOOD, these were later eliminated using plastic wedges under the wheel to lift them off the 'paper' as it fed through)
8 Normal Aluminium kitchen foil, crinkled and rolled prior to printing - DG non-porous
9 Waxed paper, prepared using shibori roll - DG non-porous
10 Rough water colour paper with gloss gel medium prior to printing - DG non-porous
11 Screen printer plastic - DG non-porous (roller marks lift slow drying ink = NOT GOOD! (rollers lifted in later samples as described above, see below)
12 Heavy table cover plastic - DG non-porous
13 Heavy table cover plastic with muslin applied using gloss gel medium before printing - DG non-porous
14 Acrylic paint (white) skin - DG non-porous
15 Bubble wrap thread sandwich - DG non-porous, some areas cleared of non-dried ink after printing
16 Screen printers plastic with muslin applied with gloss gel medium before printing - DG non-porous
17 Acetate sheet - DG non-porous (this surface can be used as a fine skin to apply to other surfaces (see later)
18 Frosted plastic (bag) - DG non-porous (right) no coating on left (ink extremely slow to dry but did dry eventually)

I will add more examples soon...

Digital Ground 1

With an image (taken with my mobile phone ) of the pots at Calgary Airport that I am quite taken with... I printed onto acetate which had been textured with Golden gloss media and then printed on Golden's non-porous ground. Do you think if I mention their name enough I might get some free samples? Now on to stitch.

It snowed!

I think I can feel a series coming on.
Great stimulus for the shibori work and digital printing that I am doing
So frustrating being held up by lack of material and my inability to get technical with the printer. One doesn't mess about with a costly machine like that without concern.

A nice wine.

This piece began in Oman and was put in a box of goodies for  a while.  Thanks to Jan and her Wednesday sewing group it is now finished... I think.

It has nice edges (not shown) and I actually like the piece in a portrait position (not shown).

This isn't a postcard although a small piece it is about 8" square.

Icy river's edge

This item was made in 15 minutes using the embellisher machine.

I am impressed by how the machine allows creation of a textural surface to work into and how the back and front are very different. The back providing a more muted image.

The image reminds me of the edge of a partly frozen river, like the ones we visited at Elbow falls beaver interpretative trail.

Al's Miro

I have included this because Al demonstrates the ability of the young to just do and not consider too deeply consequences in art. So often I find myself turning things over and over and losing the spontaneity . In this piece she showed her natural skills in colour selection and composition

Shibori mushrooms

This is the sample for a piece based on the mushrooms, I am sure there is lots more potential in this felting/shibori idea. I must buy some fabric to work with, I just used a piece I had. It was all a bit closed in with this sample and the funghi need lots more space around them.

Love the ink cap colours that just appeared. And the felted streamers of thread suggesting spores flying off from the toadstools.

Inspiration -like minded

Try Cloth, Paper, Scissors for inspiration www.clothpaperscissors.com
In this issue 20 I found wonderful work of Kathyanne White. She has a blog and website that are definitely worth a look.
www.kathyannewhite.com
www.kathyanneart.blogspot.com

Some of her work uses similar techniques to mine (amazing when you think that we worked 1000s of miles apart in isolation from each other) - see the cyclindrical lamp in my blog archive... or here is another image to make it easy.



The tube is a light - usually vertical but shown here horizontal.
It incorporates a perspex tube, printed plastic sheets and layers of dyed plastic, metal and threads. Machine and hand stitching, including staples as insertion stitches.

I intend developing this style of work using more printing on plastics.

Mushroom play

So today I worked with the images of the mushrooms and made two designs.... This is the one I like best... not bad for an iphone camera ... I might adjust the top right element to be larger.
I think this could lead somewhere... I love curling edges and the contrasting dripping ink and that could be an added element if I work with some splatters of paint on the base fabric... love ink blots and blowing ink with a straw....I might play with this one.

Melissa

If you click on the link to the right "Melissa playing mountain dulcimer" you will be able to hear and see a delightful piece of dulcimer music. I knew I wanted to learn to play the dulcimer (since first hearing one whilst learning about Reiki in The Netherlands) and Melissa inspired me to actually buy one. Now I welcome the long winter nights in Calgary.

Fish card

This one just took shape in my hands and became carp in a stream for some reason... I have no idea why.
I made it with Maaike my new friend in Calgary in mind as she travels to The Netherlands at a difficult time. I couldn't send it quickly enough but it will await her on her return.

Best wishes Maaike.

Layering, stitching hand and machine, attacking with a heat tool (of course), shadow quilting (I suppose), beading (a little).

The lady at the post office in Britannia Place didn't bat an eyelid when I went to frank Deborah's card... "Oh, no problem." she said, "I have seen this sort of thing before. Have a great afternoon."

Sweet Bag - for Aliya, Postcard for Deborah

I am benefiting from the support of Pfaff sewing machine company here in Calgary and attended a workshop where Kerin demonstrated how to make this small bag. I used bits of my sewing machine that I had not done before. I now know how to sew a button hole for instance!!

So there is cutwork, lacework, wing-needle embroidery as well as stitching out motifs using the computer software.

The bag is big enough to hold a loo roll - I know cos I made a second one and gave it to Ragnhild - another new arrival here in Calgary, as a house warming gift! And what every new house needs is a spare loo roll in its holder.

Then there is this postcard made to send a get well wish to Deborah... My first attempt at felting with a felting needle, silk and wool and hand and machine stitching.

Now I am off to the local post office - to see if they will accept it. Will the stamp stay on? Will it arrive at her hospital bed intact or at all?

Poster presentation at Redditch Needle Museum

I have submitted some information boards to the Redditch Needle Museum, and their exhibition for the Charles Henry Foyle Trust (following on from my winnings last year) I thought I would show the boards here... at the exhibition they are displayed in a case with some samples  - and the pieces of work I have been doing is not shown here... I didn't photograph it before sending to Britain.

And what of textiles?

Progress? Yes, today I visited "Out of Hand" a sewing shop/store very near our house.  Lots of supplies and very knowledgeable owner.  Bought a felting needle and a bit of wool to have a go with tomorrow at Jan's stitch group.  

Stitched Al's bag, following course at Sewing World with the educational advisor from Pfaff.  It really is another world here.  I will post an image of the Formally embroidered bag I did there... when I have assembled it tomorrow... not quite me but it is very much Al.

For now here is a picture of my work area - a wonderful studio, love the sitting area.  I am in heaven.