Silk Art and Design

Shoe Redo

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:05:00 +0000

I have become a fan of Pinterest. It is full of so many ideas and inspirations. Here is project I saw on Pinterest and was inspired to make for my granddaughters.

I bought a simple pair of shoes and some fabric in my granddaughters favorite motif, cow spots.

I used a white gesso to paint the shoes to help cover the black. I used Golden medium GAC 900 Fabric Painting Medium as the glue for the fabric. You might be able to use Mod Podge but the GAC is made for fabric and I knew it would be more malleable when dry.

Here the shoes are painted with one coat of gesso. I then cut pieces of the cow fabric into manageable pieces and applies them one at a time with the GAC 900 glue. When the pieces of fabric were DRY I used a sharp blade to trim around the sole.

The toe is the trickiest part. I found if you cut into the fabric about 1/4 inch every 1/4 inch then the fabric could be "pleated" and maneuvered around the curve. The spacing and depth of the cuts would vary depending on the size of the shoe.

After covering the entire shoe in the cow fabric I added a few cows that were cut from the same fabric so layering was not a problem. I covered the whole shoe in a final coat of GAC 900 after all the trimming was done. For comfort I took a heavy duty nail file and filed around the area the touches the foot to make sure that surface was smooth. I am glad to say she wore them till she grew out of them.

Knit Graffitti

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Mon, 09 May 2011 22:25:00 +0000

Great Video. Please click on the above link to watch

Classes Offered by SEFAA

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Check out this great link for classes at SEFAA

Classes at SEFAA

Silk Dye Painting class at Binders starts Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:52:00 +0000

Silk Dye Painting by Hellenne Vermillion starts Monday! Sign up now.

click here

TMFA Exhibit Opening and Awards Gala 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:22:00 +0000

May 1, 2010 will be the awards gala fund raiser at the Mexican American Cultural Center from 6:30-9:00 p.m. During the awards gala, the fiber art exhibit will be available for viewing; a wearable art style show begins at 7:30; and fiber arts will be for sale in the Plaza. Awards will be presented at 7:30.

Tickets are $65 per person. Host bar of wines, vodka, and tequila. Flavorful Texas Tidbits served. No tickets will be available at the door. Online ticket purchase only.

THE VENUE: The Mexican American Cultural Center - 600 River Street, Austin, Texas provides its beautiful buildings and setting along the Colorado River in the downtown area for our exhibit and the promotion of Mexican American Culture. See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc

The viewing of the TEXAS - A Blending of Cultures exhibit continues May 2-31 during regular museum hours:
Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 9 pm
Friday: 10am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm

For additional information about this event, please contactinfo@texasfiberarts.org

Art Humor for the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:35:00 +0000

moar funny pictures

7 Steps to Finding Your Style

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

7 Steps to Finding Your Style

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SENNELIER SERTI GUTTA-Rubber Based Gutta

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

This is my favorite. When I first started painting on silk I felt “real” gutta was intimidating so I used “water based gutta.” I spent half my time correcting leaks. Finally one day I decided to give Sennelier serti gutta a try. I was amazed at how well it held a line. I could spend my time painting and not correcting leaks. It is conducive to many techniques and I have never picked up a bottle of water based gutta again. DON’T LET THE DRYCLEANING scare you. I use Naphtha in my final rinse after steaming to remove the gutta. You do need to use precautions (see section on Naphtha)

A Home Dry Cleaning Method to Remove Solvent Based Gutta

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:44:00 +0000

NAPHTHA

Naphtha is a solvent like paint thinner.

SAFETY FIRST: Work outside and in a WELL ventilated area. Use Nitrile gloves which are chemical resistant. It is HIGHLY recommended that you use a respirator when working with such strong chemicals. The wrong respirator will not do you any good. When working with Naphtha you should use a respirator and filter that protects against ORGANIC VAPORS. One example is a 3M half face piece 6000 which comes with the 6100 cartridge that protects against ORGANIC VAPORS. It is available at most hardware stores in the US for about $30.00 US

TIPS:

Naphtha can be used to thin down rubber based gutta when it becomes too thick.

I also store my gutta bottles in a glass mason jar with a ¼ inch or 1 cm or Naphtha in the bottom. Keep tight lid on the jar. This keeps the solvent portion of you gutta from evaporating as fast.

Home Dry-cleaning out gutta using naphtha:

In a large glass jar (5 gal) with lid, pour in straight Naphtha. Pin strings to two ends of your silk. Immerse your silk into the glass jar. Let it soak 5 minutes. Swish it around for a few minutes. Using gloved hands remove the silk pulling it out by the strings and examine it in the sunlight. If any gutta remains lightly scrub the silk between your gloved hands like you would when washing your delicates. Hang in the air to dry. Then wash the silk as usual.

From the Vault: Pricing issues

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:51:00 +0000

From the Vault: Pricing issues

This is a great article by Alyson Stanfield about pricing your art. This seems to be one of the most common questions I get and I think Alyson does a great job answering it.

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Artist Jean-Baptiste

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:29:00 +0000

Please enjoy viewing this wonderful video of the fabulous silk artist Jean-Baptiste painting Kohahukoi Koi .

Soy Wax Resist

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:09:00 +0000

Using my favorite homemade wax brush mentioned in an earlier entry I created this fun scarf for Spring.

The pictures show the process. The main trick it to let each layer of dye dry completely before adding each layer of wax. On this scarf I started with a very pastel layer of dye and added about four layers of wax and dye.

Try it yourself. It is fun to experiment. Feel free to leave me comments of questions.

My painting set up.

First layer of dye kept very pastel.

Adding soy wax one layer at a time then adding the next layer of darker dye.

This is the final result after 3 or 4 layers.

One of my favorite things about soy wax is in the normal steaming process 90% of the wax is steamed away. I do usually add extra paper to absorb the wax. A final rinse in hot water gets rid of the rest.

Make Your Own Silk Hooks

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:27:00 +0000

Many silk painters use Chinese hooks to hold their silk to the frame. These hooks are marvelous but can get expensive if you use lots of frames. I like making my own silk hooks since it is less expensive and I can whip up as many as I need with simple supplies. I also like that mine only pierce one hole in the silk instead of three holes as the Chinese hooks do. Here are some simple instructions on how to make your own silk hook.

Supplies

One box of size 17 Nickel plated Ball Point straight pins. The length is usually 1 1/16

A bag or box of size #33 rubber bands

One pair round nose jewelry pliers (beginner grad is just fine)

Steps

Using the pliers bend the head of the pin about a 1/8 of an inch in at a 90 degree angle.

Loop the rubber band inside the 90 degree angle and bend the head of the pin the rest of the way till it forms a closed loop. This step is easier with three hands or a little practice.

Bend the sharp tip of the pen to about 105 degree angle about ¼ of an inch from the tip.

You now have a homemade tip ready to go. It works really well on the PVC pipe stretcher system mentioned in an earlier blog section.

My Favorite Wax and Wax Brush

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:07:00 +0000

WAX

I enjoy working with soy wax. It is environmentally friendly, does not have obnoxious fumes and washes out with hot water. NO DRY CLEANING OR REPEATED IRONING NEEDED. I usually buy my soy wax flakes fromDharma Trading. Just pop them in my electric fry pan and they melt at a low heat around 140 degrees.

My favorite wax brush I get from the hardware store. It usually come a pack of 5 or 10 for only a few dollars. I give the brush my "special haircut." First I cut away one side of the bristles. Then I chop away like I am giving a VERY uneven haircut. They final result is a funny looking brush that when dipped in wax leaves a beautiful design on the silk.

KISS Keep It Simple with Silk

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:24:00 +0000

Some Basic Information About Silk Painting

DYE vs. PAINT

Both silk paints and silk dyes are manufactured and used by artist. There are differences and there are advantages and disadvantages to both dyes and paints. We will be using silk dyes in this class.

Silk Paint

Advantage: Silk paints can be heat set with an iron

Disadvantage: Silk paints have a heavier “hand” (stiffer feel)

Silk Dye

Advantage: Softer “hand” (silkier feel)

Advantage: More vibrant colors

Advantage; More translucent color

Disadvantage: Must be fixed by steam of chemical process

CHEMICAL PROCESSING vs. STEAM FIXING

Chemical Processing/ Chemical Fixative

Advantage: easier

Advantage: less equipment to set up

Disadvantage: expensive chemicals

Disadvantage: less intense color

Steam Fixing

Advantage: more intense color

Advantage: no expensive chemicals

Disadvantage: more complicated process

Disadvantage: initial equipment set up

SOLVENT BASED GUTTA vs. WATER BASED RESIST

Gutta

Advantage: holds dye better, less break through and leaks

Advantage: better control, thinner line

Disadvantage: must be dry cleaned to be removed

Water Based Resist

Advantage: comes in more colors

Advantage: can be washed out by hand, no dry cleaning is needed

Disadvantage: does not hold line as well, leaks especially with special techniques using alcohol and dilutants

Making a Frame for Stretching Silk Using PVC Pipe

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:52:00 +0000

Supplies:
¾ “PVC pipe (the lengths need to be 4” longer than the piece of silk you are stretching)
(4) ¾ “90 degree elbows with a slide out
(4) ¾ -1/2 Male reducing adapters PVC coupling “T” connector (optional)

Construction: Join the lengths of PVC pipe together using the 90 degree elbows. The male reducing adapters screw into the elbow pieces to make little legs for the corner joints.

Example #1
(15 x 60 scarf) Cut (2) 64” lengths and (2) 19” lengths of PVC pipe and assemble as noted earlier.
Example #2
(22 x 22 scarf) Cut (4) 25” lengths of PVC pipe and assemble as noted earlier.
Example #3
Adjustable size: Cut (6) 24” lengths and (2) 18“lengths using “T” connectors and 90 degree elbows make numerous sizes as needed. Just like an Erector set.

Most or all of these supplies can be found at most any hardware store.

What is Silk Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:14:00 +0000

Painting with dyes on silk is kind of like when you spill grape juice on a fine tablecloth. The dyes spread freely over the beautiful cloth. In silk painting this process is controlled with a product called gutta. First the silk is stretched tight over a frame. Then the “resist” or gutta is applied. This resist acts as a little dam for the dye. The silk dyes are then applied and blended to achieve different effects. The finished piece is heat set using a steam process. After steaming the dyes become both light and color fast.

When Life Takes You by Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Martha) — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:49:00 +0000

When life hits you with a brick, it makes you step back from the rat race for a moment and think!

Sometimes we are so busy -- rushing to jobs, carpooling kids, grabbing fast food, coming home exhausted -- we forget to enjoy life. Then something happens that changes everything. Well, something happened to me, and along the way, thankfully, I discovered silk art.

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Shock and disbelief can barely express some of the emotions I went through. With those emotions, I cried this common refrain: “Not me, I don’t have any breast cancer in my family.” (Did you know 80% of all breast cancer patients do not have a family history of breast cancer?)

Even having gone through this ordeal, I still count myself lucky on many levels. On a physical level, the cancer I had was slow-growing. I had a mastectomy which cleaned out all the cancer. I also did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. On an emotional level, the entire cancer experience made me slow down and reevaluate my life.

Although my vocation was as a left-brained ophthalmic technician, my avocation had always been crafting and art. I loved working with fabric, specifically fabric-painting on T-shirts and baby clothes. But hobby time was limited; I always came home exhausted and had a million things to look after: husband, kids, groceries and yes, the housework. Any energy left after all that, I would pull out the art supplies and play. I was no martyr, just a normal working wife and mother in today’s demanding world.

Cancer makes you stop. It stopped me.

While I was recovering from the multiple surgeries related to the mastectomy and the reconstruction, I attended support groups and art therapy groups. Part of the time I was in Denver and went to a center called Qualife ; then, in Atlanta, I attended The Wellness Community. At Qualife, I was introduced to silk painting. It was love at first brush! As I healed both mentally and physically, the beauty of silk art -- the flow of the dye, the feel of the silk -- touches your soul in a way that is hard to express.

Art therapy serves a variety of people, not only cancer patients. Art helps us find what is in our soul and guides us in its expression. Art helps us to heal and to move forward. Some people in art therapy classes are artists looking to explore their feelings further. Others have not picked up a crayon since grade school; but art therapy enables them to articulate their pain and emotions through a guided outlet. Most of these classes are facilitated by trained art therapists with degrees in psychology. The conclusion: silk art can be a powerful healing force.

I am now passing on my knowledge of silk painting at The Wellness Community in Atlanta. It has come full circle for me. It may be a cliché to you but never again for me: Take the time and smell the roses. Maybe even take the time to paint them while you’re at it. With the loving support of my husband, I quit my old job and am now pursuing a career in art full-time. Silk painting is where my passion lies. And I am happily following that dream. Please don’t wait till life hits you in the head with a brick to follow your bliss.

Martha Andreatos

edited by

Judith Meeks
www.SilkArtandDesign.com