Delicate Stitches: indigo

Showing posts with label indigo. Show all posts

Monday, 2 January 2017

Ready to Fly

Ready to Fly, 2017

I wrote in my last post that my aims for this year included prioritising creativity. To that end I have started the year off with a small submission project. I have taken part in Surface Gallery's International Postcard Show three times before (2013,14 and 15) but didn't take part last year for reasons I can't really recall. I really like this project as it is small enough to fit in around even a busy schedule but there is still the satisfaction of making a piece of work and knowing it will be on show.

Ready to stitch

Layering Fabrics

Last year I really enjoyed working on my feather and textile pieces so I decided to continue working in this way for my postcard. I feel like I'm starting to really develop a personal vocabulary working in this way, with particular colours, stitches and fabrics signifying specific things. It doesn't matter whether or not this vocabulary is understood by other people, it is part of my creative process and way of exploring my ideas.

Detail

In my recent work birds (and feathers) have become a symbol of transcendence, a belief found in many cultural systems across the world due to their ability to fly into the heavens. In this piece and in other recent pieces the blues represent the sky and freedom, the feather symbolises the soul and the red symbolises life. For me this piece is about spreading your wings and rising up to meet life's challenges.

Detail

I used a piece of felted wool blanket as a base and layered it up with pieces of silk organza. All the fabrics I used were ones that I'd dyed with indigo. I used a combination of fly stitch, running stitch, seeding stitch and beading to hold the layers together. I love the way the stitches sink into the felted wool, creating another layer of texture. I'm pleased with how this piece has worked out and it has got my new year off to a creative and positive start. If you're in Nottingham the show is on from 14th January to 11th February.

Detail

Friday, 18 September 2015

C-Art 2015 Wrapped: Response work

Wrapped, 2015

September in Cumbria means it's time for C-Art, when artists and art organisations across Cumbria open their studios to the public. At Prism Arts we've been busy putting together a display of work by the groups we work with and this year we also have a new strand to our displays. All of the Prism Artists were invited to produce some work in response to the work of our participants and this work is on show in our small studio (which is just across the corridor from our big studio.) We have also got 'Skyground' on display in the small studio and it's interesting how differently it works inside (previously it was on display in Tullie House gardens.)

Skyground, 2015

Work by No Borders

I chose to respond to work by one of the members of the No Borders group that I regularly work with and I created a series of branches wrapped with different threads, yarns and fibres which I then dyed using indigo. So, as well as responding to the work of another artist I also used this as an opportunity to explore a technique I'd been wanting to try for some time; indigo dyeing. I had already done a bit of work inspired by this person so this was a good opportunity to develop it a bit further.

Exhibition view, small studio

Earth Spirits (detail) by Leah Cameron

Jan Hicks

Celia Burbush

When we (Prism Artists) all came to install our work it was interesting to see how well our pieces worked together. Leah's beautiful 'Earth Spirits' were already in place and as soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to display my branches above them, which was lucky as that was the space I'd been allocated! Further along we hung Jan Hick's beautiful bird piece, all of our pieces referencing the natural world. Opposite the indigo blues of my branches are matched by the vibrant blue skies and beautiful seascapes of Celia Burbush. None of us had spoken to each other about our response pieces so it was really lovely how all the work came together so well.

Wrapped, 2015

Wrapped (detail) 2015

This is my statement, accompanying my work:

Delivering projects for Prism Arts gives me the opportunity to work with a wide range of people in a variety of settings. Often my own art practice is greatly influenced by these projects. I am often inspired by the ideas, approaches and sheer joy of making that I see in many of the participants I work with. The projects also give me an opportunity to play and experiment with materials and techniques as I often produce sample pieces to take to workshops.

Magic Tree by Jackie, 2014

When all the Prism Arts artists were invited to make a piece of work in response to the work of our participants I knew immediately that I wanted to respond to the work of Jackie from the No Borders Art Group at Carlton Day Service. During one of the projects I'd been working on with this group I had introduced them to thread wrapping as a way of exploring colour and texture. Jackie took this idea and developed it, creating a beautiful thread wrapped branch. Her intuitive use of colour and texture and her focus on her work really inspired me and led to this series of indigo dyed thread wrapped branches.

This piece of work ties in with previous pieces of mine exploring restraint and containment but would not have come about without Jackie.

Wrapped (detail) 2015

As I mentioned in my statement this work explores the dichotomy of wrapping; it can be both protective and restrictive, a restraint or a comfort. I like these two conflicting interpretations and have tried to emphasise this element of the work further by my use of materials, both delicate and strong, natural and fabricated.

Wrapped (detail) 2015

I have really enjoyed working on these branches, it is a very therapeutic process and I like the finished result too. Working with natural materials and experimenting with natural dyeing is also a very satisfying process, creating a feeling of connection with the natural world. It is quite a time consuming process, allowing time for contemplation and consideration.

Monday, 27 July 2015

Beautiful Blues: Indigo Dyeing

Indigo dyed fibres

On a not totally horrible Sunday I decided to have a go at indigo dyeing. I've always been interested in natural dyeing and over the past years have collected a number of recipes and possibly one or two supplies! I have played around a little bit with natural dyeing and I really like the unpredictable nature of it. The idea of being able to create colour from something I've grown also appeals and as we are in the process of doing up the garden this will hopefully soon become a reality.

Stitch-resist

Fibres and materials

Fibres

Wetting the fibres before dyeing

I set aside the whole day which turned out to be a good move, although it's not difficult it is helpful to have time to work through the different stages of the process. I like dyeing as it's a mixture of science and art. It involves basic chemistry and the results are always exciting to me. I have a fairly loose approach to following the 'rules' for dyeing. I prefer to follow the basic guidelines and embrace the quirks that emerge from making errors.

Mixing the indigo dye

Indigo solution

That said, I was a little more careful with the indigo dyeing as it is important not to introduce oxygen into the dye-bath as this is what 'fixes' the dye, which I obviously don't want to happen until the dye is attached to the fibres I'm dyeing. I'd prepared a range of fibres including wool, silk, cotton and linen so I could see how each fibre reacted. I'd also prepared a couple of bits of fabric with a stitches resist to see what effects that would yield.

Hi tech insulated dye-bath

Making sure the temperature was right

Keeping the temperature right

Having mixed up the dye-bath and prepared all my fibres I got to the exciting bit, dyeing! It really was exciting lifting the fibres out of the yellowy green murk of the dye-bath and watching as they turned from bright acid green to beautiful blue indigo in a matter of moments. As the dye oxidises and fixes in the air amazing marbled patterns are created on the fabric as the air hits different parts of the fabric at different times. I didn't have either of my cameras with me (one I'd left at the prism studio and Mr. Stitches was borrowing the other one on a trip out) so I was only able to capture a few shots on my 'phone's fairly rubbish camera. However, it gives an idea of what happens (and gives me an excuse to do it all again!)

The dye-bath, when ready, goes a yellowy green colour

Fibres in the dye-bath

Fibres ready for dyeing

Indigo dyeing is a little different to most other dye processes. For one thing no mordants are required as the dye is fixed by being exposed to the air. Usually when dyeing to obtain darker or more intense shades you leave the fibres in the dye-bath for a longer period of time but in indigo dyeing darker shades are achieved by repeating the dipping process. So, for a darker indigo you just dye it more times. The fibres spend about 2 minutes in the dye-bath each dip. I had fun experimenting with dipping the fabrics repeatedly to achieve a range of shades from palest blue to much darker hues.

Amazing colours as the fibres come out the dye-bath

One of my favourite parts of the process was hanging all my dyed fibres on a line and watching them flap about in the wind. The different shades of blue against the green of the hedge and the grey of the sky looked so beautiful, almost an artwork in themselves. I'm really pleased with my dyes fibres and am looking forward to using them in my work. I'm also looking forward to some more experiments in natural dyeing...