No! I don't have a terrible cold!! 07-26-19

I have been snorted and coughing and blowing and dripping and...  all of that.  But I don't think it is a cold.   I think it is the pollen in the air.  It feels more like asthma than anything.  I have been doctoring with Robitussin DM, Mucinex, and Airborne.  Having a hard time keeping track of what to take, when.  Anyway, I did not miss any class time, except that I was a little dopey at times!  

The class is over and what a class it is.  If you are interested in painting with dyes in a free, unstructured, inventive design sort of way, this is a class you must take.  

"Expressive DyePainting" with Sue Benner

There is a LOT of information about safety using the chemicals and dyes, pages of "formulas" for mixing different colors and the opportunity to invent your own colors.  You can try different fabrics - cotton (in which I was particularly interested), silk, rayon, linen, bamboo, etc., or any combination of anything.  You are able to see the results other students get, even if you don't do the different fabrics yourself.   There are dozens and dozens of ideas for different tools to use, from those invented for the purpose and everything else one might find around.  Some work out, some don't, you get to see the results of what everyone in the class tries.   Some students worked practically from dawn to dusk and dyed a LOT of fabric.  Others, like I, were too tired by the end of the class time to work on into the evening.  Your choice.  

I have taken some great dyeing classes before, but this one is extra fun and more information than I can absorb in five days.  But I have the great handout and some notes and the fabrics that I dyed to encourage me to try this again.  I will post pictures of lots of different work, mostly without attribution, just so you can see the variety of work done.  Hope it inspires you to take the class.  I may do it again one day!

Black and white and every possible color. Pieces approx 22" X 22"

 Joy Siragusa also did some over dyeing and solid dyeing in plastic Ziplock bags.

Anke Wildman  squeezed out dye and applied some with a brush on the big tile table, laid the fabric over it, brayered it in, and came out with this gorgeous scarf -  the bottom picture is a detail.  Pre-hemmed scarf is 14"W X 72"L

Nita Wester did some fabulous pieces while she also served as an excellent class assistant.  22" squares

I did these three trees on the big tile board - 44"W x 72"L.  I had a hard time keeping an even flow when squeezing the dye out of a squeeze bottle and created some thick blobs.  This will take a lot more work, more dye, more definition.  

Squeezed, brushed, and maybe sprayed.  22" square  Maker unknown.

Bambi Relie on the right did this 44" X 72" piece on the big tile table.  One needs a lifting assistant for these large pieces - Karen Orewiler on the left. 

22" squares by Chris Berry

Close up of texture - maker unknown. 

 Many different application techniques - maker unknown. 

22" square - dripping, squeezing, brushing, dotting.  Maker unknown. 

We were each to do three piece of black and white, but I don't seem to have taken very many pictures of those.  Here is one that I particularly liked along with another piece by Chris Berry.   22" squares

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Yes, I have a terrible cold. 07-24-19

I was hoping it was just allergies, but it is truly a cold with aching joints and a headache and all the rest of the stuff that comes with a cold.  I hope that others in the class don't catch it and go home sick.  They will hate me.   I did go to class today and it was a hard drag, but I learned a lot more about dye painting and techniques for "mark making".   Here are some pictures from today's class.  Sorry, no ID on anyone's work except mine.  There is nothing here I am proud of, but I did accomplish something.  Maybe overdyeing is in my future. 

From the top:  First piece - too detailed, 2nd piece - of course there would be trees, 3rd piece has way too much thickened dye which smeared all over, 4th piece was a clean off my palette, needs more over dyeing. 

Some students utilized their hot cars to "batch" the dye.  

This one was taped to the windshield! 

And there are clotheslines outside where the wind whips everything dry.

Three pieces of nice work from two different students.

This lady had some long pieces of cotton from trimming her fabric and came up with a great idea to use them.  

Sue Benner did a demo of how to do a 44" square piece with the help of an assistant.

These four images are of a student doing this with her assistant. 

Apply the dye  to the palette using any technique one chooses. 

With the help of an assistant stretch the fabric as taunt as possible and lay it on the surface. 

 Then use a brayer or the back of a Styrofoam plate to smooth and transfer the dye. 

Then with the assistant on one end and the student on the other lift the fabric straight up to avoid smearing.  Then it must be laid out on plastic sheets to dry.  I hope to try this tomorrow. 

I'm taking my pills and cough syrup and going to bed. 

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