Creation from culture and art interaction 文化互動之作

 

 What are culture and art of eco printing related? 

This afternoon I'm sipping tea with my handmade ceramic mug and enjoying pieces of crispy handmade cookies made by a lovely Italian student Fiorenza living in Hong Kong.  We're of different culture but with same passion about natural botanical eco printing that connected us closer.  We're now friends.
有時候認識到不同國籍而有共同興趣的朋友是一種文化及創作交流，

一位在港意大利學生跟我學習植物印染，我們很投緣，我樂與分享皮革印染更為她縫製成小包包，而她也為我送上美味意大利甜餅、肉醬、磨菇菌等美食，使我對意大利有多些認識。

 

Destiny made us together by an Italian artist Marisa Tacchi who is the author of a book Botanical Alchemy

 Marisa referred to Fiorenza who is keen on learning eco printing.  Fiorenza approached me for the learning.

 

The day I went to Fiorenza's house to do with her the basic yet fabulous botanical printing on silk with the plants I collected.

 

Fiorenza is so nice as well her pug dogs.  We chatted for an hour while the bundle of fabric was in the pot cooking.

Unwrapping is always excited but not to expect too much.

 

These are the two pieces of silk scarf Fiorenza made in one go. She said she's very interested to explore such natural botanical prints but not many plants she could get in her area.  I said I always do biking in my area where I can get some for her.

Then the following week we went to buy fabrics and I did biking and got some plants with permission from neighbors also picked a few windfalls.

On my biking route I talked to a guy who let me pick his eucalyptus. He's surprised for the leaves can do prints !

The goats next to the house greeting me......

 

This time we're doing leather prints.  With all those plants I got for Fiorenza we just used a few reliable ones for the leather prints.  I shared my way of working, it's simple, easy yet can do shades and shapes.   I let her do a piece of layout and I do mine for different outcome.

Yeah......Fiorenza finished her layout.

This is my layout .  Ahhhh, the cute pug as my cat Mogi does a quality control role.

 

Fiorenza's layout with more flowers as I know the yellow flowers my neighbour gave me print well.

 

The two pieces of bundles were in the pot.....not long you'll see the outcome.

 

While the bundles were cooking, Fiorenza was making Italian carbonara for our lunch. So rich so yummy spaghetti.  

We finished lunch and the leather prints were done. Opening with ooh and aah ....

They're mounted in the window frame for flat drying.

The three pugs named Pepper, Peony and Puiyee I can't identify who's who.  They're so cute to show the pieces.  This is Fiorenza's piece.

This is my piece.

Both of our pieces

Indeed Fiorenza has made lots of beautiful eco printing.  She done the cushion covers by hand stitches.  I was glad to share how to do leather prints and make the swatch into a purse by sewing machine.

I took both leather swatches home and sewed the purses, one for her and one for me.

Shades and prints of the flowers on the soft sheep leather.

Both sides of Fiorenza's purse with Mogi's approval.

Both side of my purse of soft tone.

While I shared the tricks of leather prints, Fiorenza was so nice to make me the very tasty and delicious Italian dishes.  I'm skinny I want to get weight.  Fiorenza said she wanted to make me to eat more to gain weight.  Can't resist her kindness and temptation. She made me creamy mushroom, bolognese and "Brutti Ma Buoni" ...... all such yummy Italian food I like most.

 

Simply life simply friendship...... we share culture and crafts. Thank you Marisa and Fiorenza you made me know more about Italy.

 

I don't like to do bespoke stuff, just keen on exploring botanical imprints and  make use of swatches to do whatever I like.  My workmanship is not that professional. I have made many purses as freebies.  Sometimes feel hard to part with the one-of-a-kind creation but this drives me to make more.

 To explore bounty of nature of botanical leather prints,  here's my instant download pdf tutorial on my ETSY or like to do natural prints on fabrics here's Marisa's book link.