Shanghai workshop (1) 上海工作坊

 

Just back from a week teaching in Shanghai, China where internet is limit or banned.    During my days in the rural outskirt in the 1300 years old ancient water town Jinze, I have no facebook, no blogging and no internet.    Arts or crafts of botanical imprints and wool felt are quite new there.  Opportunities emerging for artisans beyond China.  I was brought there by Hong Kong textile expert Edith Cheung.  This was my second  teaching in Jinze Arts Centre in five months. It's encouraging that my students from far provinces  just flown in to learn the comtempory skills.

We immersed ourselves in the tranquil campus......

獲香港紡織專家張西美邀請, 在上海市郊古樸水鄉金澤鎮的連串植物移印染及羊毛氈教學活動剛剛完滿結束, 一星期在沒有互聯網資訊如詩畫意境進行, 第一天到埗與聰敏助手開始實驗. 設備齊全的金澤工藝社為多位來自不同省份學生準備就緒......

The arts centre surrounding is poetry

Will post more pictures of the town in a separate post. 

Here's mainly about the workshop in the interior of the campus.

   On the first day arrival, my assistant,  a UK
intern helped collecting the local leaves for my experiments to make sure which plants work for the prints.  Walking in the area with typical traditional buildings was so pleasant.

 

We used only the simple and eco materials.  We made iron solution in the hot sun of 37 degree just in 2 hours.  We made the reusable paper cores for bundling and local leaves collected in the  campus.  The only leaves bought from florist are eucalyptus silver dollar which are planted in China also.

 

I tested the prints in different ways with all sorts of leaves picked, the peach, mulberry, melon, maple, cotinus, rose, onion and a few unknown. The outcomes are impressive.  They're marked for students'  reference in the next session.

The pictures speak themselves............

 

 

The summer leaves are quite well for the prints

My sample prints display in the studio for student's reference

Final touch of the wearable  of all natural prints

My assistants prepared materials packing for the workshops.

 

Everything well set and ready for the workshops.

Mext will be students' prints, make it into wearable and wool felt purses with textures.....

Will be fabulous ....... stay tuned.

Another teaching in Shanghai 又到上海教學

 

 Samples packed, tools packed.......  Yes, this batch is a few of the botanical imprinted samples with assorted leaves on wool, silk and linen as well the handy tools for my teaching in Jinze , outskirt ancient town of Shanghai for eco printing and wool felting workshops this week.

一切準備就緒, 植物移印染樣品及羊毛氈化工具, 甚至羊毛料也特別從英國訂購一同送去上海金澤古鎮教學, 這星期將會沈醉在典雅古樸的工藝坊與學生們研習創作, 沒有互聯網, 沒有臉書,靜待一周後, 回來再見......

 "Mum, make sure the wool is not overweight."

Some 20 kg of Finn and merino wool ordered from UK are shipped together as we wanted the best quality of wool for the students.

 Samples of wool felt purses, eco prints, and nuno felt wearable for the workshops.

 We'll immerse ourselves in the ancient campus of the Jinze Arts Centre........

a pretty venue with the waterway ........Will have no blog, no facebook and no internet for a week, until mid of next week.......

Thanks for stopping by.

I'll be back with updates,,,,,,, stay tuned.

 

Upcycled bag 復修袋子

Some people never care about what they have. Stuff are easy come, easy go.  However the earth is getting sick with lots waste disposal. I just like to make the tote bag and the chair (last post) longer life cycle ......

I've a friend who already have some beautiful bags and purses still treasures the small cotton tote bag I made for her years ago. It's washed out and worn out.  She doesn't want to dispose it.  I said let me do something to make it usable.
給友人的一個布袋子用久了已殘破, 但朋友不願就此扔掉, 我說讓我看看如何修復,  在破損處加點刺繡, 布畫上鮮明顏色,  車縫內裡, 這樣把袋子復修, 再可用耐些, 不隨便變了垃圾, 地球也健康些.

    

Before amended it, the acrylic painting faded out and holes on the bottom of both sides

I repainted the scenery with fresh acrylic

All the broken holes amended with french knots - that is the easy way for me to do these stitches

The small holes are amended with french knots in red thread then painted again

The other side are the same stitches on the holes

To make it stronger I lined the interior with my eco dyed scraps, sewed the inside pocket and a separate pouch..

Put the folded tote bag inside the pouch when the tote bag is not in use

 

A big tote bag carrying the mini one........ 

The "Before and After" look of side one

The "Before and After" look of side two

                          The upcycled tote bag of both sides.  This will be stronger and last longer. 

 

Poppies and country scenery are always my fav painting, on canvas, cotton tote bag or set of ceramic.  Just love the bright and cheerful red color.

Botanical imprints on paper 紙上植物移印染

 

There are lots ways of making paper prints with plants. Thanks to James Dennison,  he does beautiful prints and his wealth of botany knowledge inspires me. 

I tried some sorts of papers, like watercolor paper, sketch paper, drawing paper, used envelopes...... and recently the abandoned index paper.  Different papers have different outcomes of prints.  I'm not sure what chemicals or ingredients of the industrial paper making. Some botanical imprints on watercolor papers are quite nice but costly.  Instead I use the abandoned index papers with my simple method. 

  

Index papers are thin as the normal A4 writing papers. I cut off the margins and fold each piece.

 

In between the folds I placed the reusable plastic sheets (heat resist kitchen wraps).  This is to avoid "breeding" or "overlaps mess".  Put the plastic sheets a bit extend outside the paper margin for easy unfolding after boiling.

 

Gently damp both bottom and upper sides of the paper before placing leaves.

 Or cover the leaves with a fabric scrap soaked with iron water. This will bring out the leaf outlines.

 

  Sandwich tie the batch with the aluminum plates. 

 

I usually boil in the used rice cooker for an hour. The batch of paper on the bottom and other bundles on the top just to save energy to make more than one thing together. 

 After an hour boiling......Open it..... the prints on index papers like these.......

 Put the papers on a towel and air dry but before dry up......

  put the heavy books over the stack of damp papers overnight  to make them flat and smooth.

 Take them out from the book weights after a night and let all dry up

 Prints on my index papers

 I would like to make a booklet with coptic binding.  That's how I make the art journals with abandoned papers. 

Other than making art journals I also do prints on fabrics. I have instant download pdf English version  and Russian version for the basic yet colorful shades in my on line shop ETSY