Pursuit the bounty of nature 那自然美的追隨

 

Pile of colorful natural printed fabrics just done with an Indonesia visitor M.  She's so enthusiastic of natural printing and wanted to play with flower prints. I said I can't and will not teach the techniques just learnt this year with Irit Dulman because of code of conduct and ethics of artists.  I can show the way what I've done with skills learnt two years ago in Spain with Irit whom heads up my sharing.  I said not all flowers can print and colorfast.  I can do local plants and rarely found the flowers I'm pleased but two of them so far are my favourite.   So we started to pursuit the bounty of nature........

 

I'm also serious to welcome my visitor M with the kit.

 

Mogi, looks puzzled who's the visitor is.......

 

Welcome M.....

Mogi greeting M's arrival..... 

Mogi is my helping hand, a guest teacher and our works approver.

 We used the windfalls, flowers picked on my biking and the ferns outside my gate and two kinds of eucalyptus bought from florist.

We tried wool flannel, crepe de chine, viscose, cotton, wool blend.....

Different species of eucalyptus prints nice on wool flannel without any mordant.

 

This prints on crepe de chine also without mordant looks bright. 

Then go further to do with different mordant, various fabrics with different steps.......

  

Outlines, shades and the flower prints are what make her impressive.

 The flower prints are delicate

 I like to do partial shades for the comparison.  Here's the sample prints done with different flowers

 

Prints on wool blend cotton (50/50)

The main flowers are Lagerstroemia speciosa and Hibisus tiliacenus,  we made piles of colorful prints with appropriate mordant for shades and colors.

 Thank you M for the long way coming to explore bounty of nature.  Hope you enjoy and experiment more the alchemy of natural printing.

Further experiments of botanical prints 植物印染深層研習

Right after Irit Dulman's workshop in Holland I'm home with lots ideas.  Plate is full and eager to test our local plants.  This is the one done mainly of Lagerstroemia speciosa and others.

 

I'm hooked to the new techniques from Irit and her formula of mordant is great.

When you view the video you may have the same feel as mine.

 

Mogi like it or not I don't care.  I love the taste and natural color of the "butterfly pea flower" (Clitoria ternatea)  from a friend.

 

These are the plants from a friend that I made prints onto viscose 

 

 The top end dyed in madder with shade of red

These are of different materials - left is viscose jersey, middle is cotton blend and the right is viscose.

The flower prints of Lagerstroemia speciosa is a magic.  Prints that I can't explain and no idea what pigments are.

 

 Oxalis, first introduced on the "discharge" technique by Irit Dulman is amazing

 

Irit's formula is wonderful.  With strong or weak mordant I can get different outcomes of the same plants.

These images actually of the same piece of prints I show in different angels.  It's a tube width knit cotton/viscose jersey.

   

The front and back with different prints and shades as intended.

 

I was struggling whether to dye or not to dye in madder.  I leave it as it is now simply a wrap.

  

The reversible back and front simply with the purse I made from the "prints carrier" which the eco printers may know what it is.  

I love the overlapped prints on the purse fabric I done in Dorie van Dijk's Atelier Fibrefusion.  Now a nice keepsake of my marvelous memory of learning in Irit Dulman workshop, Holland.

Days after Holland workshop

 

After Holland workshop, eco print master Irit Dulman and I went by train to Antwerpen, Belgium for a couple of days. It's a sunny and warm summer.  We explored the city on foot

 

Also it's weekend.  Not crowded but with fans of WorldCup in lined pubs.

 

We enjoyed shopping and stopped for the street performance.

 

A walk near our Airbnb is a botanical garden.  Wondering if the huge leaves can print?

 

Antwerpen is a  city of art.  First impression of the Central Station is marvelous and grandeur.  The video of my jaunt in the city.

After that Irit went home and I was on my way back to Holland to visit friend Kim.

 

Kim's adorable 8-month baby.  Sweet baby and Kim's master piece of wool felt in the house.  I knew Kim via network of same passion over 7 years.

 

Kim's girls and baby boy.  I have dinner and nice catch up with the family.

Holland is a country of bikes.  Almost everyone can bike.  I love biking and went to Maastricht for a short ride.

Along the river....

through the old city castle gate

Such a beautiful day !

My last day in Kim's village for a wood walk with baby. 

Before taking train back to Amsterdam Kim drove me to visit renowned felt maker/artist Annemie Koenen.  Annemie's so nice to show me her spacious studio and the awesome works.

 

I was honored to have a book of her story signed by her and the very beautiful wool/silk from Annemie.

 

A short video of my day in village Bunde with Kim

 

My last few days in Amsterdam were also sunny and brilliant with ex-colleague Radhika showed  me the area around and we did Chinese grocery shopping. 

  

I made her the spicy tofu and fried vegetable

 

 Also days in Amsterdam biking is my prime purpose of visit.  I jointed a countryside ride.

We cycled along River Amel

 

Back home with piles of eco printed fabric and head full of brilliant ideas.

 

I visited a friend in the countryside of Hong Kong.  Ms Fung gave me lots of leaves and flowers to try as well the "butterfly tea" that makes purple color drink.

First piece of prints with formula from Irit is very impressive.  Next I will show more about the new prints mainly of flowers.