A TECHNIQUE DRIVEN Blog dedicated to mastery of surface design techniques. First we dye, overdye, paint, stitch, resist, tie, fold, silk screen, stamp, thermofax, batik, bejewel, stretch, shrink, sprinkle, Smooch, fuse, slice, dice, AND then we set it on fire using a variety of heat tools.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
now for something different
This post is going to be short on words, but heavy on photos. I'm a fibre artist, with a passion for techniques. I became involved with Robin Atkins, Bead Journal Project (BJP) in 2008/2009, and haven't looked back since. Although my fibre roots have been neglected lately, I hope to correct that in the near future. My 2010 BJP pieces, are probably my favourites, as they combine my love for fibre, free motion stitching, beads, paint, memorabilia and found objects. Each tells a personal story!
I only completed seven in this series, but it's definitely something I would like to revisit in the future. If you'd like to hear more, please visit my blog!
To think that it all started with a simple triangle!
The Bead Journal Project is now on Facebook, and will be open for new members, in December of this year.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Eco Dyeing
Hi!
Janis here.
About 2 years ago, my first efforts at eco-dyeing were
pretty dismal. Then I got sidetracked
and not terribly motivated to give it another try, although, I could see that others
were having much more success than I had so I kept an eye out for good
instruction. Finally I found eco-dyeing
paydirt!
Elena Ulyanova wrote: “My way of contact dye extraction I
compare to espresso coffee making: fast, hot, full-flavoured.” Believe it!
All I had was a handful of leaves I had tucked away in the
fall and a little bit of seaweed and I was motivated enough to give it a try in
the middle of our New England Winter of Snow.
Still not as if I was rich with natural ingredients but I was doing a
happy dance and I’m so looking forward to new growth and sunshine! Here’s what happened with almost nothing!
I have about a dozen more bottles saved up cannot wait to go
for it!
Friday, April 17, 2015
Guest post- A Creative Fire part 3
elle here for a final stoking of the creative fire.
The theme has been Justified. The form has Oneness. The content has Yielded results. Is there JOY?
whY is it finished? Have you, the maker, said all that needs to be said? Can you put it out there? Are the sum of the parts in relationship with the maker, consistent and integrated?
What others 'get' from a piece of art is arbitrary. Hopefully their flame has been fanned. But did you 'Get' it? Art, good art, needs to convey something of the artist.
Lighting a fire is really only a beginning. Once lit it needs to be cared for so it can achieve its purpose. What is the purpose of the fire? Food, warmth, safety, light, signalling, propulsion, cleansing, comradeship, enjoyment ...
Artists perform a vital service to mankind. They feel the pulse of society and then challenge and stimulate the norm. They make the pause in life's busyness and fast freeze that which needs a closer look. They help to see something in a fresh way. Isn't this beautiful? Isn't this important? Isn't this sad? Even, is this art?
There is a yearning in the artist to express what is internally felt. When we neglect to feed the flame within us creativity is smothered and everyone suffers. Hopefully we can keep the fire burning brightly and that it is done for the JOY set before us.
Having yielded some of our own self to the work, a form of
exhaling, we can now inhale, embrace the JOY and begin all over again to
play with fire.
I do understand that this is a technique blog and I have no physical project to show for the few months of gnashing my teeth about what to do. but... I do hope that like me, followers of the fire blog will give some thought to techniques that can feed our creative fires. I even hope you will share them.
If you have been following along, Thank You. The fire blog offers a wonderful resource to all artists, beginners as well as the experienced. Thanks to Beth and all her contributors. May we all successfully handle the fire! :)
The theme has been Justified. The form has Oneness. The content has Yielded results. Is there JOY?
whY is it finished? Have you, the maker, said all that needs to be said? Can you put it out there? Are the sum of the parts in relationship with the maker, consistent and integrated?
What others 'get' from a piece of art is arbitrary. Hopefully their flame has been fanned. But did you 'Get' it? Art, good art, needs to convey something of the artist.
Lighting a fire is really only a beginning. Once lit it needs to be cared for so it can achieve its purpose. What is the purpose of the fire? Food, warmth, safety, light, signalling, propulsion, cleansing, comradeship, enjoyment ...
Artists perform a vital service to mankind. They feel the pulse of society and then challenge and stimulate the norm. They make the pause in life's busyness and fast freeze that which needs a closer look. They help to see something in a fresh way. Isn't this beautiful? Isn't this important? Isn't this sad? Even, is this art?
There is a yearning in the artist to express what is internally felt. When we neglect to feed the flame within us creativity is smothered and everyone suffers. Hopefully we can keep the fire burning brightly and that it is done for the JOY set before us.
 |
| good |
 |
| better |
 |
| best |
I do understand that this is a technique blog and I have no physical project to show for the few months of gnashing my teeth about what to do. but... I do hope that like me, followers of the fire blog will give some thought to techniques that can feed our creative fires. I even hope you will share them.
If you have been following along, Thank You. The fire blog offers a wonderful resource to all artists, beginners as well as the experienced. Thanks to Beth and all her contributors. May we all successfully handle the fire! :)
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Guest post- A Creative Fire part 2
elle here again to talk about creative fire play.
Having Justified the subject, the theme, the idea of the new art; the second step is to bring oneness to the art.
Art is just form and content. Form is defined as using elements, principles and physical materials. Content is defined as the work's essence or purpose. They should convey an orderly and organized oneness.
Hence-
Organizing the elements of art, obedience to the principles of design, and the offerings of the materials available is the next step. And no doubt followers of the Fire blog are well aware that:
Visual unity is one of the most important aspects of well-developed art and is planned by the artist.
Unity provides the cohesive quality that makes an artwork feel complete and finished.
When all the elements in a work look as though they belong together, the artist has achieved unity.
A unified work of art represents first a whole, and then the sum of its parts.
etc.
The
idea or the theme is the match, the ignition. But the initial spark only
lasts so long. Now the fire must be built and that takes a variety of
combustibles- tinder, kindling, and a good fuel source. The materials for a
fire can also relate to the supplies of an artist. Consider dry grass,
shavings, dry waxy pine needles, sawdust, cardboard, birch bark, twigs,
peat, even dung; and then soft woods and hard woods. Does not this read
as an art supply store?
How the fire is built would be the various techniques the artist uses to portray the purpose and bring unity to the art project.
So clear away an appropriate surface. Loosely lay the kindling on the tinder. Have the wood at the ready. Will the fire be a tepee, a star shape, a log cabin, a pyramid or a lean to? It is all up to the fire maker!
But what about the maker, the artist! Have talents, techniques, tools, and yes, the tests and trials, come together in such a way so as to be poured out into the body of the artist's whole work? Is there a oneness, a unity that defines the artist and the artist's intent? Is the passion, the purpose, even the playfulness that unites the artist with the art work out on display? Can the one who orders/organizes the sum of the art, be glimpsed in the whole?
I ask myself these questions because I want to be a real fire maker.
I believe artists need to catch the concept, the spark if you will; that what brings oneness to the art is the fire, the flame, that lies within the artist. It is the one flame that needs to flame brighter than any other.
While I think it helps to understand who one is as an artist it is also a journey of discovery. And perhaps it is fair to admit that those early works of art, one way or another, are perhaps only fodder for the fire being built now! :O We do get to be better fire makers. :)
I have only just begun to be comfortable with the term artist. I make art but it is mostly technique studies and I am often only following the step by step procedures of other artists. There may be unity but there isn't much of me. This is NOT lighting my fire. In fact, the underlying theme is probably fear of the fire. So how to fan the smoldering art cloth and learn to juggle fire sticks!
I
have had opportunity to edit out some of my old photos recently and I
found it enlightening to see a mish mash of art that makes me cringe and
yet some that brought smiles and happy memories. Joy? I think it is
time to make a better wood pile.
My first exploration of the creative arts, aside from just plain colouring, was home decorating. I started with my adolescent bedroom and I matured and I learned. Over time I have come to realize that if I just acquire what I like I invariably pick stuff that goes together. Now there have been a few "what could I have been thinking" but as a whole we do tend to gravitate to what we like. It is just a matter of editing out the "What was I...'s"! And of course, applying the design principles. Joy!
The next thing I learned was that what goes together in the sixties fire pit doesn't seem to smoke as well in the nineties not to mention the 'now'! Ha! We need a new groove! lol Some of that wood gets kinda punky so it might be time to add some newer varieties of wood to the old woodlot. It just might take a cleansing fire through the mind
.
There is a natural stack of wood supplies available to the artist to make natural art. But there is a spirit of an artist that also needs fuel for creativity. It is just as important, maybe more so, to have a nice dry stack of creative, spiritual 'wood' available and within easy reach of the artist who sparks within. Artist dates, taking the time to visit different creative venues or just strolls through the park can feed that spark. And that is what will bring joy.
How is your wood pile?
Having Justified the subject, the theme, the idea of the new art; the second step is to bring oneness to the art.
Art is just form and content. Form is defined as using elements, principles and physical materials. Content is defined as the work's essence or purpose. They should convey an orderly and organized oneness.
Hence-
Organizing the elements of art, obedience to the principles of design, and the offerings of the materials available is the next step. And no doubt followers of the Fire blog are well aware that:
Visual unity is one of the most important aspects of well-developed art and is planned by the artist.
Unity provides the cohesive quality that makes an artwork feel complete and finished.
When all the elements in a work look as though they belong together, the artist has achieved unity.
A unified work of art represents first a whole, and then the sum of its parts.
etc.
How the fire is built would be the various techniques the artist uses to portray the purpose and bring unity to the art project.
So clear away an appropriate surface. Loosely lay the kindling on the tinder. Have the wood at the ready. Will the fire be a tepee, a star shape, a log cabin, a pyramid or a lean to? It is all up to the fire maker!
But what about the maker, the artist! Have talents, techniques, tools, and yes, the tests and trials, come together in such a way so as to be poured out into the body of the artist's whole work? Is there a oneness, a unity that defines the artist and the artist's intent? Is the passion, the purpose, even the playfulness that unites the artist with the art work out on display? Can the one who orders/organizes the sum of the art, be glimpsed in the whole?
I ask myself these questions because I want to be a real fire maker.
I believe artists need to catch the concept, the spark if you will; that what brings oneness to the art is the fire, the flame, that lies within the artist. It is the one flame that needs to flame brighter than any other.
While I think it helps to understand who one is as an artist it is also a journey of discovery. And perhaps it is fair to admit that those early works of art, one way or another, are perhaps only fodder for the fire being built now! :O We do get to be better fire makers. :)
I have only just begun to be comfortable with the term artist. I make art but it is mostly technique studies and I am often only following the step by step procedures of other artists. There may be unity but there isn't much of me. This is NOT lighting my fire. In fact, the underlying theme is probably fear of the fire. So how to fan the smoldering art cloth and learn to juggle fire sticks!
My first exploration of the creative arts, aside from just plain colouring, was home decorating. I started with my adolescent bedroom and I matured and I learned. Over time I have come to realize that if I just acquire what I like I invariably pick stuff that goes together. Now there have been a few "what could I have been thinking" but as a whole we do tend to gravitate to what we like. It is just a matter of editing out the "What was I...'s"! And of course, applying the design principles. Joy!
The next thing I learned was that what goes together in the sixties fire pit doesn't seem to smoke as well in the nineties not to mention the 'now'! Ha! We need a new groove! lol Some of that wood gets kinda punky so it might be time to add some newer varieties of wood to the old woodlot. It just might take a cleansing fire through the mind
.
 |
| good |
 |
| better |
 |
| best |
I do believe-
There is a natural stack of wood supplies available to the artist to make natural art. But there is a spirit of an artist that also needs fuel for creativity. It is just as important, maybe more so, to have a nice dry stack of creative, spiritual 'wood' available and within easy reach of the artist who sparks within. Artist dates, taking the time to visit different creative venues or just strolls through the park can feed that spark. And that is what will bring joy.
How is your wood pile?
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Ecology and art
The world is full of plastic in all forms. Daily we collect plastic bags,
plastic bottles, packaging, etc. Plastic bags are everywhere, we get to the
supermarket or at the market, then we used to throw them in the trash. What
will happen in time with these materials that are not biodegradable? It is a
problem that will be difficult to solve. Finally, over the years, the Earth
will be "infected" with such non-biodegradable materials that will
intoxicate.
I thought recycle them and use them for artistic purposes, ie to create a different type of material, even very interesting, which include it in my artistic work.
Proceed as follows: pieces of plastic, cut the plastic bags, are placed in several layers (4-5 layers depending on their thickness) between two sheets of parchment paper and iron with ironing. It is preferable to work in with ventilatin because you never know what substances may be encountered.
I thought recycle them and use them for artistic purposes, ie to create a different type of material, even very interesting, which include it in my artistic work.
Proceed as follows: pieces of plastic, cut the plastic bags, are placed in several layers (4-5 layers depending on their thickness) between two sheets of parchment paper and iron with ironing. It is preferable to work in with ventilatin because you never know what substances may be encountered.
The result is a very interesting material, textures unpredictable,
depending on the nature of the plastic material and heat treatment mode.
If the plastic is too
thin, it result and some "tearing" or holes.
Then the fused plastics can be
painted with acrylic ...
Can be stitched…
Here, I sewed some leaves then
I painted with
acrylics...
Here I did a combination of plastic with textile and some gold metallic foil. I
used machine free motion to do a drawing.
Here, I mixed fused plastics with metallic foil and some stitches…
Important !!! Any ironing can
affect the plastic material
and can damage what you did before. After painting
or sewing is better
not to use the
iron!!!
In the last photo is
the result of this mistake. The sewed plastic,
as you saw in the
picture above, was ironed over and
damaged ... but I
solved the problem ... I added some metallic foil under
it .
And
finally, a CD wrapped with a
fused, painted, stitched plastic …a small painting.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Guest post- A Creative Fire part 1
My name is elle and I'm learning to play with fire.
As opposed to setting our art or even our art room on fire, I'd like to talk about setting our creative mind on fire.
I want to talk about the trinity that brings us JOY and sets us on fire.
Very often it is the simplest of things that make for satisfaction- coffee, cream, sugar; or perhaps it is coffee, a good book and a comfy chair; or even coffee, friends, conversation, etc. ;^) But anything seriously complicated makes creases in our foreheads. The joy smolders. If we eliminate the name calling and use the KIS principle- keep it simple, we can perhaps gain a better understanding of what starts a creative fire, revives cooling embers or even builds up the wood supply for that flaming fire.. It is of course understood that simple is not the same as fast, easy, sloppy, etc. but keeping the decision making simple keeps the firewood ready!
This week I would like to look at the Trinity, The Power of Three as it applies to art.
The Power of Three:
Art, a three letter word, is comprised of three parts. The three basic components of art are Subject, Form and Content. A creative work employs composition, elements of art and principles of design. The result should produce joy! And light your fire!
Joy begins with J for justification. The artist must have a subject, a theme, a beginning that is worthy of exploring and expressing. It is the motivation that will carry the project from conception, through choice, to completion.
There is no joy in settling for same old, same old. What fires your creativity? A familiar subject or series still needs justification.
Triangle! Three different ways- good, better, best! My mum used to tell me good, better, best. Never let them rest, until the good is better, and the better is BEST!
Puttering around in my playroom makes me happy. But am I experiencing Joy? Honestly, no. I'm letting fear of the fire paralyze me. I can not justify my current projects. It is time to start playing with the fire! But I think my wood is wet!
Next we'll have a look at the fuel.
As opposed to setting our art or even our art room on fire, I'd like to talk about setting our creative mind on fire.
I want to talk about the trinity that brings us JOY and sets us on fire.
Very often it is the simplest of things that make for satisfaction- coffee, cream, sugar; or perhaps it is coffee, a good book and a comfy chair; or even coffee, friends, conversation, etc. ;^) But anything seriously complicated makes creases in our foreheads. The joy smolders. If we eliminate the name calling and use the KIS principle- keep it simple, we can perhaps gain a better understanding of what starts a creative fire, revives cooling embers or even builds up the wood supply for that flaming fire.. It is of course understood that simple is not the same as fast, easy, sloppy, etc. but keeping the decision making simple keeps the firewood ready!
This week I would like to look at the Trinity, The Power of Three as it applies to art.
The Power of Three:
Art, a three letter word, is comprised of three parts. The three basic components of art are Subject, Form and Content. A creative work employs composition, elements of art and principles of design. The result should produce joy! And light your fire!
Joy begins with J for justification. The artist must have a subject, a theme, a beginning that is worthy of exploring and expressing. It is the motivation that will carry the project from conception, through choice, to completion.
There is no joy in settling for same old, same old. What fires your creativity? A familiar subject or series still needs justification.
Triangle! Three different ways- good, better, best! My mum used to tell me good, better, best. Never let them rest, until the good is better, and the better is BEST!
Puttering around in my playroom makes me happy. But am I experiencing Joy? Honestly, no. I'm letting fear of the fire paralyze me. I can not justify my current projects. It is time to start playing with the fire! But I think my wood is wet!
Next we'll have a look at the fuel.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Surface design
I like to work with textiles and textile scraps especially. They inspire me in what to do with them.
Today I want to show you how I used the textile scraps to make cards.I glued various textile patches, lace, etc. on a textile background and then I added some stitching with sewing machine for a better fit. Then I painted them with acrylic. Once dried, I add some decorative stitches.
(1)
 |
| (2) |
From the (1) surface I made these postcards.
From the second piece (2), I made this...I added some stitches, beads, Angelina fibers, or gauze.
I hope you liked them,
Carmina
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