Good time with good friends for the inspiring creation

Friends are friends who bring me happiness and inspiration as well fun sharing. My wool felt artist teacher Nicola Brown and her sister Suzanne from Ireland last week visited Hong Kong. We're delighted to spend some time to show our honorable guests around.  Wonderful that Nicola spotted the special bush in the area I've never seen the plant  before.  I picked a few for eco print experiment.   It works fantastic!
藉著愛爾蘭老師Nicola Brown到訪, 這幾天我們在天朗氣清下悠遊港九,新界與離島, 在新界北Nicola 更發掘了我一直想找尋的蓖麻葉, 我急不及待與友人在星期天分享寶物做植物印染實驗,

We're spoiled and lots to play with Nicola's beautiful gifts.  See.....Mogi's anxious to unbundle the gifts.

 During the days of Nicola's visit we have been to the Peak for the panoramic view of the harbour.

With my friend Florence to Lamma Island for trail walk from one bay to the other. Along we saw some plants and the casaurina was good for our eco prints.

 From the Peak to the sea, the next day we drove to Sai Kung passing by the yacht club. Colorful sampans lining up in the tranquil bay.

 

Stopped by Sai O ..........  strolling with a guy playing saxophone behind.....

 

A sunny and warm day it was ! We're heading to the north New Territories along coastal  Sai Kung to Shatin, Taipo then Lok Ma Chau.

 At Lok Ma Chau Lookout, only a short distance China is in the sight.

 Nicola's so familiar with plants. She spotted the special bush in the north while we're almost leaving the car park. Glad to find a few for home experiment together with the eucalyptus picked on the ground in flower market. I was so eager to do the testing that night.
Outcome is gorgeous !

 The past Sunday we have fun sharing of eco-printing with Florence and Grace.

We did placement on silk scarf with the found leaf, casaurina, euc, rose leaves and onion skins......

  Winter Sweet  (腊梅) and Grevillea Robusta (銀華) for paper prints on the watercolor paper Nicola gave me.

 Time to opening is always the exciting moment

 Such clear prints

 Grace's happy with her scarf placement

 The large and bold prints

 Florence said this looks like my "style" prints.

 We done on light silk chiffon for the scarf

 

We tried on silk jersey with sorts of euc and onion bath with alum

 

We have a nice time on the Sunday afternoon playing with natural prints......

 with the soft and tasting home made cake from Florence....
we're full......

 My eager experiment with good outcome

 

Thanks for Nicola's visiting.

Her visit in Hong Kong from the south in Lamma Island to the North Sha Tau Kok made us a good chance to see the stunning Hong Kong too.  Visitors are always impressed with our greenery just a stone-throw from the urban. 

 

The two years wool felting extravagance I attended in Portugal by Nicola were amazing. Ireland is the country on my wish list. If I were not already engaged this summer I must join the upcoming workshop by Nicola Brown in her country the 10-day luxurious residental retreat "Felting & Eco Printing in Ireland"  between 15 - 25 July 2016. 

Days in a Europe - Hungarian colors 匈牙利的色彩

Days in Hungary were bright, colourful and cheerful with friends.

In the village Nagykovacsi, 15 km away from Budapest where my friend Betti lives in, I spent three days with her and interacted with our passions of wool felt and eco prints. She's very creative in wool felt and learnt intensively the traditional making. She's quite interested in my way of natural prints and textural nuno felted surface technique. Apart from taking sometime to view little village, I was happy to share with a bunch of lovely ladies the botsnical imprints technique.

These prints with onion skins, rose leaves and little euc are simply an intro.

Just two hours before my leaving, I showed Betti the making of a sample of textural 3D surface with the scraps of the natural prints made the day before.

With the chiffon as a base, I put some merino wool, curly fleece, mulberry silk, assorted scraps of silk, chiffon to make the textures.

Here's the layout

Some rubbing, rolling, scrabbling..........

Less than an hour all done - the flowers look with the previous day onion dyed scraps. 

Outcome speak themselves........

The days I came in Hungary in blue skies, the day I left a blue scarf - the intangible friendship with interaction.

Thank you for hosting me Betti, thanks for the lovely days with your family.

The sweet boys and girl as well the lovely cats are all in my memory.

I left Hungary by the coach back to Slovakia and stay again with lovely Layla for another time. Fun days ahead.......

Can't resist the bounty of nature 大自然的色調怎能抗拒

 I said I was tired of eco prints and need a break. As I wanted to learn acrylic painting for the colourful instant outcome.  However not long for a while I can't resist the bounty of nature and done a few again.

 早前說要暫休植物印染玩意，要玩玩彩繪，日前經過桉樹林被強風吹折有花蕾的樹丫，這難得的一遇，當然撿拾回家又做我的印製。

 For the few sessions of learning I enjoyed so much the colors playing.  In the meantime........

 the day after strong wind I passed by the bush of eucalyptus I found lots of wind blown branches with buds on the ground.  

Can't resist to take home otherwise it would be disposed of.

On my Friday hiking last I also found some windfalls of euc and some local sweet gum.

Our sweet gum are still green because of warm weather.

Can't resist to do again eco prints.  Put a few pines, some euc and a rose.

After two hours of bundle boiling of the wool flannel, opened with delight.

The bright and bold of eco collected on Friday hiking

The buds of this euc are brown. I never know which one gives red or brown as they're picked on ground. That's the challenge!

Rose petals purple as wished

I lined with backing then a wall hanging or a table runner is made.

Clos up of the prints..... Casaurina pines and euc.

Rose petals and rose leaves

Euc with buds 

Approved by Mogi

Territorial Mogi, he owns everything!  Whatever new stuff I put on the floor he occupies it right away.

Before and After

This is another printing with local sweet gum and the euc with smaller buds. I'll make it another tapestry.

Fresh buds are rare to get thanks to strong wind I can pick from ground.

I used some other euc with iron mordant to make my Tuscany theme. Another prints to follow later.

"Mum said she can't resist the bounty of nature and will do constantly eco prints while learning colorful painting. Enjoy your cappu and thanks for stopping by"