Some reflections on silk painting and shibori

This is my final attempt to load this.

One of the things I get asked to teach most often is silk painting. I can only teach the basics but its an enjoyable course. I am indebted to the wonderful books by Mandy Southam. They are clear and conciseness ad conci. I can't recommend them enough.

I have been putting together a set of samples ready for the next course and at some point in the last last decade I mentioned a morning spent folding, pegging and clamping colt and some of you we're kind enough to ask what they looked like finished.

Without further ado

 

Splashing paint around without any gutta, just letting the paint flow and playing. Some nice landscapes sort of start to appear.

Folding, clamping and dipping into silk paint on 2 corners.

Makes a sort of star in the centre.

 

This is also folded and clamped into triangles but I painted along the edge of the triangles. The book suggest using a clamp. 2 triangular pieces of wood. I didn't have any on the day but I do now.

Thanks Dad.

Sprinkling with salt.

A bit mmeehh

 

Tye dye. Soaked in silk paint.

I love some of the textures this creates. It's not the clearest tye dye but it has some really interesting parts.

Spider web binding

Any ideas? The silk paint just did not get through leaving some interesting but very small patches of paint. I will have to try this one again.

Playing around with Gutta. This is the things that learners find hard, controlling the gutta.

Me as well.

Concertina folds.

This is a dull sample but I have seem some fab ones in class.

Must remember the camera more often.

This is the technique I am most interested in. It is a pole wrapping technique. Sort of twisting and wrapping the cloth around the pole and then dyeing

This first one I used silk paint. Not enough. Too much white for me. Some interesting patches.

Attempt number 2. Unwrapped from the pole too early so that the paint muddies. Still interesting but not quite right.

Attempt 3

Really starting to like this technique. Used dye na flow this time. Great strong colours and large patches of colour. It's still not right but its getting closer.

There, finally, the results of a fun morning. It all seems a long time ago now.

The other attempts at this post had lots more comment but when it takes so long to post it gets a bit duller each time I write it.

Fingers crossed.