2nd piece for Decay theme - Irene

This is the second compost piece 12 x 12 ins
I used some of the fabric over from the piece in my previous post. I also took a photo of my sun print and printed it onto fabric using TAP paper. I did not bother to fiddle with the photo so the colours are somewhat different. I also failed to wait for it to dry properly before washing, more than I would have expected of the dye came out. This created a worn looking fabric. However I call this 'happistance', it suited my theme. Using a metallic green paint I then printed.... composting is kind to the environment, it promotes diversity.

 I have just put out some more fabric with decaying leaves to sun print. I do not think it will be used for any more postings to this site unless of course I am totally excited about the result. Some of the bits were not staying in good contact with the prepared fabric so not too hopeful of a good result

August 2015 theme Decay Irene MacWilliam

When I heard the theme for August was decay I knew I had to make something to do with one of my great interests - compost making. Sounds sad but it just lifts me to see how all the decayable household waste can be turned into amazingingly productive soil. I found some old decaying leaves  and various other bits of growth and did the above sun print. I loved it. I was using reds, browns, yellows and a little green, not combinations I often work with. I find brown a difficult colour.  I did not want to cut it up but I had to.

This is the piece I made for the theme. I have printed a photo of the above onto TAP paper and am toying with producing another piece on the theme of  Decay. Again sorry for being late in posting. I also want to do the old and new theme and have an idea for that so again that will be late and out of sequence.

Girls and Boys come out to play by Irene MacWilliam

Childs Play - theme

A sun print using Dye-na-flo and setacolor, then the figures were screen printed using a stencil. Writing of nursery rhyme, using acrylic ink in pen bought from Art-van-go. 

The background represents the tangled life of childhood with lots of images of childhood, monsters, stars, halloween skull and bones, christmas trees etc.

Tiles 4 ----- to the theme Light and Dark

I use up some motley yellow fabric that I  had painted. I overpainted this with sun reactive paints and used a stencil as my main mask.  I put my painted pieces in the greenhouse so the wind would not disturb my arrangement. I was amazed at how well they came out. By the time I came to print a length  for the border the lovely sunny days had passed. After waiting and waiting I one day rather impatiently  chose what I thought was a sunny spell but as soon as I was ready to take it out the sun practically disappeared. 

I free machine quilted round the motifs. A rather mindless piece but I so much enjoyed doing it. I am looking forward to using this technique on other discarded fabrics and with different colours.

I felt it fitted the theme of dark and light both in execution and with the result.