Tuesday 31 July 2012

Young Embroiderers 2012




Young Embroiderers had a very creative day with Nicky Dillerstone.
They made “Tactile Frames” using mixed media techniques.

Initially they worked on a single frame, creating a  rich textured surface with
A limited colour palette.
Later they progressed to a concertina style frame using similar
Media with some colour, and incorporating wire and beads.

Friday 6 July 2012

Leonard Thompson's Silk Painting Workshop





Some photos of the work produced at Leonard's Workshop last Saturday.  We all had tremendous fun!

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Leonard 's Silk Painting

Kate Steane is sharing notes she made during Leonard Thompson's recent talk and workshop.

Silk Painting by Leonard Thompson Summer 2012.  
Notes by Kate Steane. 
 
He usually uses iron fixed paints – these fix with the use of a hairdryer. The images are considerably paler on the back, but this does not matter for a picture. He uses habotai silk, medium wt. (8);  this is pinned onto a frame so it is taut with three pronged pins (several in each corner). The paints are like ink, (Setasilk about £4 each). He keeps notes of his colour mixes – how many drops of each colour. He uses a number 8 brush to paint and a foam brush to wet the silk. As soon as he reaches the effect he wants, he fixes it with a hairdryer.

Sequence: Wet the silk, dry off excess with kitchen towel. Blob on three colours, leaving some gaps. Either sprinkle Jacquard's silk salt or dishwasher salt over the silk. Flick clean water by tapping the brush. Leave to one side and much later the effect of the paint drawn to the salt begins to show.

Other techniques: Pale shadows on silk. Distress scrim (bandage, open lace, feathers) and arrange on wet silk; press it down, re wet from back. Dilute colours (with water) unless a very dark effect is required. He likes to work diagonally with the paint – cover the whole area with several colours. As it dries with the hairdryer then the colours darken as the paint moves away from the scrim which is damp for longer. 

Using stencils – cut overhead projector film with a scalpel. Again dilute colours (with water) unless a very dark effect is desired; get the colours wet and sloshy, put the stencil down and use the hairdryer. The stencil quivers when drying; the paint is set when all is dry. Then it can be made wet again, using the same colours but even more dilute and twisting the stencil (he used an isometric grid for his pattern) and drying again.

Gutta Resist :There are three sorts of gutta – white, silver and colourless. He uses the last slightly diluted and put into a dispenser with a nib; when he squeezes the dispenser it flows and stops when he releases. The colourless gutter line is used during creating the image and removed by washing the silk. In his paintings he paints the palest colour first, then gutters up and then the next palest colour –  need to use colours that mask each other. 

Each of his paintings is carefully planned; he makes a sketch which he tapes to the back of the frame then carefully builds up details. On average each picture will take one week.