Intensive teaching of natural prints 密集式植物天然印與染教學

 

Last few days I was busy in teaching a special student natural printing.  She's a wonderful artistic lecturer and already an expert in natural dyeing. Miss Lai from Taiwan, she found me from internet and asked about workshop of natural printing of my recent works.  I said I learned  from Irit Dulman the techniques and not quite properly to teach her.  She said she has asked Irit before and Irit has no plan to travel to Taiwan and referred her to contact me.  Then I replied Miss Lai I can teach what I am doing in my way,  that is steps and ingredients are a bit modified. So we started the one-on-one intensive teaching.

這幾天教學，可以説是輕鬆的密集教授，因為一位專程從台灣來跟我私人學習的賴小姐已有豐富的天然染經驗，而且很有藝術觸角。這幾天主要是教媒染的應用在不同物料所呈現的效果，三天的實驗與製作色彩豐富，學生滿意，我也開心。

 

It's a cool morning.  I have everything ready for my student flying in.

 Mogi is a brat always wants to know what we're doing.

While I was explaining what fabric materials we are going to use, he jumped on the table.

 First day we do basic and simple mordant of alum and iron for plants.  Fabrics are wool and silk.

 Miss Lai has an artistic vision and the placement is simple .  This is wool flannel. Four species of eucalyptus are used for the different shapes and shades.

 Here comes the result

 

Sounds she is happy with it.

 

 This is what we have done on the first day of the basic prints

 

Batch of first day's works.

  

 She's happy and I am pleased.

 

A short video of day one.

 

 Day 2 we do indigo dye and prints.

This is what she wanted to leant and the outcome is as expected.

 

Yes, it's a good day with sunshine.  Mogi appreciates it.

 

Works of day 2 completed.

 Batch of fabrics of different outcome.

 

A short video of day 2.

 Then day 3 we do mainly with cellulose fabrics.

 As well indigo and cochinael dyeing.

 Flower prints and discharge of oxalis

 

 

Batch of day 3 creation

 Video of day 3.

I'm happy to teach a student who has wealth of natural dyeing experience.  Miss Lai knows well the colors mixtures and I get inspired from her too.

Playing natural prints and dyes 天然植物印與染

 

"Raise the curtain see what am I up to......"

Formerly I dont' know how to set indigo vat and not really like to do indigo. My friend Nicola Brown gave me an indigo kit on her visit two years ago. I kept it till last month Debbie Leung helped me setting the vat and I started playing it.  

 In the recent days I burned the wax melt, a set of wax aroma Lilian Lui gave me as Christmas present. I was so relaxed in the aroma ambiance and it hit my mind to do something with the melting wax.

 I recalled last year the wax indigo workshop in Hangzhou Edith Cheung, textiles specialist invited me to attend.

 

  I painted roughly the nandina sketch on linen.

 

Dipped in the indigo bath.

 

 Pale in the first dip

 

After 3 dips it's getting blue.

 

 Then boiled hot water and put the dyed piece to have the wax melted.

 Started to sew a purse with the fabric.

 

A clutch is made.

 A few compartments for cosmetics.  

 

Be it a cosmetic bag or a clutch.  

I'm happy with the outcome and going to give this pouch to Lilian Lui who gave me the wax present and a friend I respect. These days apart from doing experiments of natural prints/dyes I am indulged in making the swatches into pouches.

 

This is wool flannel printed with leaves in Israel.

 

The pouch of dark background printed with nandina with Betty in Israel always recalls my good days with her.

 Just love the white discharge of nandina on the mordant cochineal dyed fabric.

 I've already made two pouches with this panel prints.  Love the black which I don't like before.

 

 

I got leather of lamb skin at good price. Find it no harm to try botanical printing.  I printed with my own grown strobilanthes and eucalyptus from florist.  Prints are bold and clear but leather became a bit hard after heating.  I know it's not the proper way of printing leather as fabric but I just tried.  Will figure out the correct procedure of printing.

 Made a palm sized purse out of the printed leather.  Good for keeping USBs or keys.

 

Another fabric printed with flowers bouquet from my sister's son wedding. This set I am going to give to my sister.

  

This is also leather printed with flower from my studio neighbor.

  

And this is a clutch of leather prints with maple and eucalyptus.  So far I have made three purses of lamb skin.  They're not perfect but quite interesting to do with botanical prints.

 

I don't remember how many pouches made with swatches I have done.   Each is unique and one of a kind.  Like to give to friends who appreciate my work.