Sun Printing and Stenciling a T-Shirt

This past week I did some sun printing on a T-Shirt using my new Pro-Chem Transparent paints to test them out.  They have a very creamy consistency. They remind me of the old Versatex paints, which I really liked.  I diluted them two parts water to 1 part paint and using a large brush started painting away.

Above are pictures of the T-shirt laying in the sun.  I placed some dried leaves on the wet painted shirt. In the middle of the shirt back, I scrunched up the fabric.

Here is the finished shirt, top picture is the front.  Parts of it are very nice, but I wasn't totally pleased with it, so I decided to add stenciling to it.

Here is the front now. I like it a whole lot better. It needed something more

 and the stencil layer pulls the  colors together.

More Soy Wax Batik with Textile Paint

The paint has dried, been heat set, fabrics ironed and washed and here they are.

I added more paint and texture to the one shown in my last week's blog post.

Above and below, I am using a couple of some new tools

 purchased from thrift stores to create patterns in wax, 

both on the white fabric and after a layer of paint has been applied.

On this one, more paint was stenciled and stamped on after it was batiked.

In this picture you can clearly see the difference between the front and back of the fabric.  Because this is paint,  rather than dye, it does not permeate the fabric.

Soy Wax Batik with Paint

I had a chance to play around with soy wax and textile paints yesterday.  Lots of fun.

 First I put imprinted wax onto the white fabric, then painted it with yellow,

 yellow-green, and yellow-orange.

After drying the fabric I did more waxing using a variety of objects dipped into the wax

 and painted on darker colors.  

Above is the dried, ironed fabric.  Most of the wax is removed, but I will do the final very hot washing in a few days after I'm sure the paint is totally cured.  I know the ironing does heat setting too, but don't want to lose any color.  This is one side of the fabric and below is the other.  Although the paint is transparent, the sides are a little different due to using paint as opposed to dye.  I kind of like that, in that it gives you more options in using the fabric.

Below is my sweet dog napping in the sun on the bed in my studio.

Working 3D

I am so enjoying spring break!  Yesterday I stayed home all day except for a trip down the long driveway to the mailbox.  I'm doing a new clay project with my 7th graders this quarter and needed to put together a sample. Before you teach something, it is best to do one yourself.  I started a pot on  Monday,  but was far from thrilled with what I was making.  Yesterday,  I had a clearer vision of what I wanted to make. I like working in a variety of  media, paper, ceramics, metal, beads,even though cloth is clearly my favorite. Ideas and techniques used in one media transfer very well into others and allow you to view materials in a new way. Here's some pictures of my slab pots made yesterday.  They need to dry thoroughly, then get fired, glazed and re-fired.

I used branches to texture this rough looking vase.  I might cut off the bottom and make openings in the cylinder so it can be used as a lantern for a candle.  Still not decided on that.

Hummingbirds on the Patio

We bought a hummingbird feeder about a week or so ago.  At first there were a few hummingbirds coming to feed from it, but now, there are so many that we are having to refill it daily.  It's crazy!  There will be six to eight hovering around, buzzing about and one even came inches away from the glass patio door and looked right at us!  Of course, it made me thing of Hitchcock's movie,  "The Birds."

First there was one,

 Then there were two

Then, three.