Printing Fabric

May 18, 2018

I put aside my quilt while I finished 2 other pieces where I was exploring some techniques and ideas that I may incorporate into this piece. I have been wondering what fabric to use for the trees and branches that will impose a second grid on the image. When I’m walking in the woods I like to focus on the details that are framed by the many branches. It is important that the fabric be tree-like, but also abstract. I tried using some Chinese painting techniques on my gelatin plate, but was not happy with the results.

While mulling a solution I went on a walk. There on my path was a large piece of bark from a fallen tree. I took it back to my studio (along with some other finds). At first, I tried pressing the bark into my gelatin plate. The resulting image was too dense. I decided the best way to create the fabric was more like a rubbing. I put the fabric directly onto the bark and rolled my brayer over the top. The raised areas caught the paint. Now to decide whether to go for the drama of black and white or to use the tan and black.