Art journal making from travel memory 旅人的手作小本子

 

Recently I'm hooked in making art journals.  I printed the papers,  made the cover and bound the booklet.  This one with prints on cotton & wool felt cover just made.

這數位年代還有多少人愛手寫小本 ? 可能捨不得書寫那由始至終的手作， 這獨特的植物移印染捧在手中我有一些莫名的喜愛。

 

 I took from the stash a piece of cotton prints which was first dyed in Portugal workshop years ago with a little rust and the dark iron marks.  It sat aside for long. Last year I took it out to have the castor oil leaf prints over the cotton fabric.  The leaves were from Israel workshop last year.  I bought back a few pieces of that leaf as I know it's better to do with local leaves. 

 

I hand sewed the cotton prints on the wool felt piece with eucalyptus prints.  Make it the journal cover. 

 

The cotton part I stitched some French knots.  Really like sorts of stitches which give a special touch. 

 

 When I was making the stitches I imagine it's a seaside of Tel Aviv where I strolled along for a few days from dawn to dusk. 

 

The inside cover is printed with eucalyptus, the upper and down sides are soaked in the indigo dye, not a vat but only very pale solution.

 

Then I made the coptic binding of 7 signatures, each with 7 blank pages and some prints.  That makes a booklet of more than 100 writing pages.

 

Completed with the first page also with castol oil leaf.......

 

A few pages with local leaf prints......

 

A few prints on silk fabric and dried leaves.

 

The French knots and the rust marks

 

The castor oil leaf looks like "Sea Star"

 

A "Black" tone art journal with my handmade ceramic button closure

 

Simply the art journal.......

 

I made with the good memory of my last stay in Tel Aviv with this leaf

 

The day I took it to the beach near my studio....... I imagine it's the Mediterranean Sea in between Tel Aviv  and Cyprus.......

 

Back to reality, it's the South China Sea in Hong Kong

  

Listening to the wave, listening to the echo of sea...... 

Imagination to come true......

Portugal wool felt workshop 葡萄牙羊毛工藝交流

My wool felt workshop in Portugal was fabulous. Truly brimming with new skills and inspirations.  The Serra da Estrela sheep, so called "Bordeleira" in the farm are wonderful and their fleece are fantastic to work with.  My week in the farm was wonderful.    

我在葡萄牙不一樣的羊毛工藝交流 .

優美山莊田野, 美酒餐飲與來自不同地區的朋友共同學習, 好享受的文化與技巧交流.

The workshop was held in the ecological farm amid the olive groves in central highland of Portugal.

Participants from the US, Spain, England, Portugal, Sweden and me from Hong Kong.  On the first night welcome dinner...

Wow, I love cat, she greeted us as well.

Next day felt artist Nicola Brown started instruction and demo.

We started on different projects as we decided.

I was making a beret with nuno felt skills.  The silk fabric was my own dyed euc leaves.

All our days in the farm were super with blue sky though hot.

Lunch in the sun was great feel and comfortable

Each day served with breakfast, 2-course lunch and 3-course dinner with wine

The first day I completed the beret

Next day a fish bag with handle.  Indeed I intended to make a jug with handle but come out not so proportional I turned it to this look.  So call it the "fish bag".  Making wool felt is flexible that wet pieces can be changeable to something unexpected.   (I don't mind but I can't do custom order !!) 

Following days were handbags with 3D textural surface mixed with decoration of local raw fleece.  I like to work with the long and short fleece.  A very special combination.

The brown silk scraps were eco printed by myselt.  This is truly OOAK.

Without needle this technique of making a textural surface is wonderful.  A little purse with long rope is cute. 

Again a simple bag with long raw fleece.  The fleece is super white after felted.

A sculpture with curl tail, embellished with flower

3D vessel with mulberry silk.  My first trial to make the firm rim and shape.  Turnout good.

A session to watch local sheep shearing in the same farm.

My rug done with the  fleece just shorn.  Though took some time to pick the bits.  I like to do a small piece.  Love the texture, the brown fleece is particularly soft.  I call this a "black & white sheep". 

We've done lots creations in the week.  Time to show the local village people how wonderful the wool are.

Nuno felt scarf, iPad case, sculptures, vessels.... 

Corner of my works - handbags and beret.

Rug of raw fleece by Ann, rope necklace by Cynthia and hat by Conchita. 

These are amazingly done by Heather, Ann and Estela. 

Variety creations, some are done by the girls.

 Eco print and dye are part of the works showcased. 

Tie marks on wool felt and euc leaves are impressive. 

Nuno felt scarves are beautiful 

Sandy's nuno felt scarf looks like a pretty flower patch. 

The hanging demo by Nicola is awesome 

Eco print & dye on silk or wool felt are great 

I was glad to share the tying on chiffon 

String marks and eucalyptus prints 

My other way of using the "dark fabric" (with iron mordant) to transfer prints on another silk fabric. 

Nikki's silk fabric with local oak leaves and strong euc prints. 

We'd a visit to a wool processing factory and museum. 

In the factory we're introduced quality of wool. They're very well to felt and good price.  I bought 4 Kg home.    

 These are part of the projects I made during workshop.

My travel to Portugal was quite a fabulous interaction with international participants to broaden my wool felt skills and creations.  Next journey going on in Spain with good friends.  Will have another post about the exceptional scenery of Andalucia......