Hamsa Project: More Layers Part One

Orange hamsa after adding another layer of transparent paint

It's almost 11:00 PM and I wanted to get a post up on the blog about progress on the Hamsa project. I got a lot accomplished today but I've decided  to break it down into parts, so here goes part one.

I started out by painting another layer of transparent paint to both the hands and oval backgrounds.

Turquoise hamsa after adding another layer of transparent paint

I then added more glue using a "detailer" which is a small plastic bottle with a precision tip.

Orange hamsa after applying more glue with the detailer

Turquoise hamsa after adding more glue with the detailer

After the glue dried, I used the Pentel dye pastels to add more layers of color to the orange hamsa and its background.

Drawing with the dye pastels

I also added some color to the oval background of the turquoise hamsa. I did this by slipping a texture block under the fabric and rubbing the pastels over the fabric to pick up the design.

Rubbing on fuchsia background using pastels

I set the pastels with an iron. I am now ready to move on to the next step which is printing with opaque fabric paint. I'll go into that in part two.

After the pastels have been set

The pastels have been set. Time to move on to opaque fabric paint

A Bittersweet Evening

Catherine Muehleib: Block printing

Tonight is the last session of my winter Exploring Surface Design class. It's a little bittersweet. Sweet because I will now have a month of not having to drive an hour during rush hour to Old Town Alexandria. Bitter because I have been fortunate to have a wonderful group of students this term. I will miss teaching them and will miss learning from them. Here is selection of their work.

Catherine Muehleib: Multiple layers of paint and blue glue gel resist

Catherine Muehleib: Block printing

Janel Russell: Nature printing

Janel Russell: Block printing

Janel Russell: Block printing

Mimi In: Printing sampler

Mimi In: Gelatin monoprinting sampler on "wipe up" cloth

Susan Prytherch: Cut freezer paper mask with silk screen

Susan Prytherch: Block printing

Susan Prytherch: Torn freezer paper mask with silk screen

One student's work is missing and that is Halle Butvin. She did some wonderful block printed pieces and I didn't have a camera, at the time. Halle had to leave the class early as her business was calling her away. She is the owner of One Mango Tree, a fair trade textile business in Africa. She is doing wonderful, worthwhile work and was delightful to have in class. I am so sorry that I didn't get a chance to photograph her work and hope she will send me a few photos when she has time.

Feelin' Like Spring

Joie de Vivre #9 by Julie B. Booth

It really feels like spring today! And...it's supposed to hit 70 on Thursday. Time to do a little "dance of joy"!

I'm off to a meeting with F.I.N.E this morning but hope to be back to work on the Hamsas this afternoon. I'm about to get to the more interesting layers and hope that by the weekend, I can reveal what the Hamsas really look like under all this glue and paint.

Edward Tulane

Edward Tulane by Alena M.

I taught my Wrapped Wire Animals workshop this weekend. One student and her art teacher mom decided to make Edward Tulane from the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It sounds like a wonderful, heartfelt book and I'm looking forward to getting hold of a copy. I would love to hear from anyone who has read the book.

Hamsa Project: More Paint and Glue

Mano a mano

Although it's been a busy weekend (son home from college for spring break; two workshops; getting the taxes done), I've managed to squeeze in a couple of more steps on the hamsas.

I painted the ovals behind the hamsa hands in a contrasting color.

I then cut freezer paper masks to expose only the painted areas for the next step.

I applied blue glue gel to a print block and printed the design across the hand and painted oval. I alternated the block to create an interesting pattern.

The printed areas of glue will protect this paint layer from the additional layers to come.

The Wonders of Gelatin

This Wednesday night, my Winter Exploring Surface Design class got to experience gelatin plate printing. I continue to be amazed at how each student jumps right in and plays so freely...layering prints, experimenting, "what if"ing. It is a wonder to watch. Below are some prints from class.

Mimi In

Mimi In

Janel Russell

Janel Russell

Susan Prytherch working with Tyvek

Susan Prytherch

Susan Prytherch on Tyvek

Catherine Muehleib

Catherine Muehleib

Hamsa Project: More Layers and a bit of Patience

Adding some color with Pastel Dye Sticks

 Got behind in posting yesterday...not to say that I wasn't in the studio. Did some more work on the Hamsa pieces.

I decided to add some additional color to the hands using Pentel Pastel Dye Sticks. What's great about these pastels is that you can set them with an iron just like the transparent fabric paint.

 

I then ironed on a freezer paper mask so that I could paint the eye with blue glue gel. This will preserve the original color as I continue to add layers. I threw a little bit of table salt on the blue glue for texture.

When the glue/salt mixture dried, I removed the freezer paper mask. I used a brush to paint lines from the eye to the fingertips. This will also preserve the first layer of color. Once the glue dried, I added another layer of color to each hamsa hand.

One thing about working with resists is the need to be patient. In order to get more interesting results, the layers have to be added one at a time...with drying time in between. Sometimes trying to work out the layers can be a bit of a mind twister. Working from the lightest color and hoping that the additional color layers work can make one's brain feel like it's going to explode! Fortunately, there is always opaque paint that can be tossed into the mix at the appropriate time to "lighten" things up...but that will have to be another post.