Teaching in Shanghai - Botanical imprints (1) 上海植物移印染教學

 These are  the botanical imprints I taught in Jinze Art Centre Shanghai last weekend.

I spent a few days for a series of workshop for eco prints, nuno felt and wool felt with a bunch of lovely students from Shanghai, Beijing and Shangyang.  

我在上海市郊金澤古鎮的教學開始是植物移印染, 第一天到埗, 金澤工藝館助手與我一同拾葉子做實驗, 古雅的工藝館建築群座落河岸, 寧謐優美, 工藝房設備完善,  學生來自上海市, 北京及沈陽, 我介紹完植物移印染的特性及示範後, 學生開始自行製作, 從第一片的白底金黃主調到第二件的有媒染深調, 及後混合的色調. 在不同織物有不同效果, 這是學生們第一次學習, 他們自然有不同的期待, 我預先已告訴他們不要太過熱切要求每片葉子完美有顏色, 我們欣賞那過程, 那不完美的美麗, 每一點用心的手作. 兩日的實驗做出不同色調絲巾及一些紙片印葉..

 Venue is in the western outskirt of Shanghai, campus by the river.

 

 On my arrival I immediately done local plants experiments and my intern assistant helped me the setting.

 Displays of my samples on different fabric 

 On the first day students went for leaves collection

 Picked fruits for kind of purple prints

 Some bamboo leaves, dried branches and fruits

as well some rusty objects and wires for iron mordant 

 My demo on a silk scarf

 They started the layouts

 Some euc, peony leaves and onion skins,

  wheat and dried branches

 Cooking like making soup

 Unwrapped after 2-hour boiling

 First bundles are mainly of clear background with yellow-gold prints of alum mordant

 So these are the imprints on silk scarf of euc leaves & branch skins, onion skins, rose leaves and peony leaves

                               After first experiments of alum mordant,  done iron mordant to have darker imprints and shades

 Purple to dark prints with iron mordant

 Prints on silk and cotton

After they got the ideas from different ways they made prints on scarfs of their preference.  Below images speak themselves .........

 These two pieces are imprints on organza that have a "see through" look.

 Subtle with tie lines of iron water

 

Euc and it's branch skins, dried wheat and flowers. 

 Iron mordant on assorted leaves

 Wheats with iron mordant

 Apart from imprints on fabric, I showed the way of paper prints a well.

I like the iron mordant on this piece.

Will have the next blog of nuno felt