Biking and inspired creation 寓騎行於創作

 

Year 2021 is challenging.  Blessed still can play plants magic and biking inspired creation. January has started pretty good with private tutelage with designers and artist friends.  

新年伊始，疫情下還是寓踩車於創作更可取又樂透，一月份有小組私人教授的植物印染，為準備材料往新界踩車，路過友舍聊聊小聚，順道𢹂回一些花葉回家備課，用的面料是純𢇁及混𢇁麻，有絲質成份面料媒染處理相對簡單，加以天然染料與植物色素結合，做出層次色調是這次教學的主旨，設計師學生的視覺美學自有其獨特鋪陳效果。

Fabric used was silk and silk linen blend that's simple mordant can make impressive prints. We used natural dyes cochinael, lac and logwood for the background shades. Students made the prints with assorted leaves and flowers. Layout and outcome are different and unique.

 

Opening bundles is exciting.  Mind that printouts are not always as anticipated.  However we appreciate whatever mother nature gives.

 

Ferns, flowers, leaves......bounty from nature.

We chatted and discussed how interesting botanical contact printing was.  Below is part of the prints mainly with ferns, lemon marigolds, onion skins, hibiscus, eucalyptus, guava, casaurina, cosmos etc.  With their aesthetic visual of layout they made the difference.

 

 

 

Video of students prints making.

Biking is my fav sport and creation inspired. Whenever I do biking I have handful plants home from my studio neigbours or farmland. 

Our stunning scenery changes by season. Fish ponds dried cracks made nice pattern.

 We went to the wetlands fish ponds for birds watching.

Peaceful view of grazing goats by the pond.

 

Mural of Chinese painting of farmers old days.

Shrine with blooming plum blossoms, such tranquil view of the village.  That also implies lunar new year is around the corner.

Cool in winter and the willows are getting yellow.  How nice to ride with team mate and share same passion of botanical imprints.

 Sometimes when I pass by this dainty garden I'd say hi to the owner WY who's so friendly. We may have a chat under her passion fruit tree shelter and have tea.

Or sometimes when we stop over a farm the keeper allows us to pick some leaves.

 

That day with lots pretty finds we're home and I immediately done experiments.

Mogi's curiosity keeps me alert. Fortunately sounds that wouldn't make him interest.

 

For this experiment is own made sappan wood chips dye for red/purple shades.  I just soaked the chips overnight then bring to boil and stay in pot till I want to use.

An hour boiling of bundle is fine, theme of fern and willow.
 

Ferns are good combination

 

Passion fruit leaves with dyes of sappan wood and fabric mordant in alum that brings yellow reddish.

 

Tone of purple and pink from cochineal, lac and sappan wood.

Mogi like it I am sure.

 

A few samples of reddish purple of silk linen. 

 

I like such fabric. Touch and printing are more pretty in real.   I need to replenish more and showed the owner what I want. The stall owner knows my favour.

 

Good match leather prints 找到了我的皮革天然印染

 A good find, really perfect match I found finally.

I tried many times natural printing on leather, this is the best lamb skin I've ever sourced.  Last week when I passed by a street stall I found the very soft lamb skin, good price, good quality and so soft after steaming.

最近終於找到很好的羊仔皮做天然植物印染, 也是終日沈醉的研究, 踏車時撿拾或朋友給予的花花草草共冶爐, 烙印著天然的植物色素, 製作了好幾個包包, 自己都滿意, 有點愛不釋手呢.

 

The size is the whole piece of a small lamb.

 I'm really into leather prints.  These days I have been doing with assorted plants particularly love the flower prints.  I like to print on the down size (not the smooth surface) as outcome looks much better. 

Photos below speak themselves........

 Cosmos printed from yellow to red

 

Gerbera and nandina

 Lemmon marigold, willow and cosmo

 Hibiscus I love most, delicate and vivid.

 

Hibiscus tiliaceus

 

 Sometimes I use flowers of home grown or from friends' garden.

 Sometimes I pick windfalls while biking

 

This is purple but prints no colour yet shape is pretty.

 

Today I went biking with the lambskin prints for shooting.  It's soft as a towel.

 I've made a few pouches with the swatches.

I'm crazy now!  Almost every day doing experiments after I found the good material.  Fun to play and share.