Paper and Threads

I took a class with 2 of my art buddies this week, in which we learned how to make Thermofax screens that can then be used to transfer images to paper or fabric (with fabric paints or thickened procion MX dyes).  You can see details of our day here in Rayna Gillman's blog and a humorous recounting of the day in my friend Pat Gaignat's blog.  I'm the one in the gray shirts in these photos. 

I took lots of black and white images with me to make screens, but I was most interested in getting screens with images of my pregnant model from figure drawing.  I also made screens from designs that I can use for background surface design, screens from some of my stamps, and screens from photos I took of Manhattan.  While in class I tested some of the screens with Profab paints in my watercolor sketchbook and on fabric - and couldn't wait to go home and try printing with thickened dye on fabric for quilt journal page #6.

Here are the 3 journal pages that I made - very quickly and with very little thought.  But it gives you some idea of the images I can now print. 

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Thursday evening at the Society of Illustrators is with "costumes."  At my last session, both models were dressed as gun molls - and sketching was much more difficult than usual.  Here are several of my drawings that were "least bad."

Two Minute Poses:

Five Minute Pose:

Ten Minute Pose:

My current sketchbook is too big for my scanner, and I can't prevent the shadows on these drawings without transforming them in Photoshop like I did in the middle pose.  While drawing these, we were listening to a 3 piece jazz combo - a real treat that is part of the experience at the Society of Illustrators.

Posted by Shirley at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I used Shiva painstiks and a stencil to transfer my figure drawing to hand-dyed pole wrapped shibori patterned fabric for quilt journal page #5.  I bought this sample metallic set of painstiks 4 years ago and never tried them before now. 

The 3 figures were "painted" using a small stencil brush.  The binding was made by rubbing the painstik directly over orange construction site mesh that is currently being used on scaffolds at our apartment building.  The free form quilting was done with black thread - as before.  

The quiltlet is actually 8.5 X 11 inches - it is my photo that makes it look out of shape.  I hope to use silk screen or thermofax screen printing for QJP#6.

Posted by Shirley at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Yesterday my husband and I went to an open rehearsal of the Philharmonic Orchestra in NYC - with Itzhak Perlman playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.  While my husband waited on line inside Avery Fisher Hall, I sketched the new Lincoln Center Plaza Fountain with State Theater behind it.

I'm trying to fill up one of my first recycled books and it has paper that I hate.  And my scanner also hates it and the buckling of the paper shows as dark shadows. 

It is great fun to see the Orchestra and Conductor dressed in jeans and T-shirts - and to hear parts of each piece several times while they work on it.  I'm getting better at sketching people who return to the same or similar positions frequently so I decided to sketch the Music Director, Alan Gilbert, while he was conducting the first piece.  Then I sketched the Concertmaster.

After sketching at the morning concert, I felt like sketching more and went to Figure Drawing at the Society of Illustrators last night.  Before the models appeared and while the jazz group was setting up, I did a quick small painting of the bass player.  Sketches from figure drawing will be scanned and uploaded later....

My blog has been down several times in the last week, and my poor son, who maintains the server it was on, had to come home from several long days at work and try to fix it.  Last night he moved it to a new server, so I think it will be OK.  Isn't he amazing?  Although he is a self-taught computer guru, he is a busy physician and was packing for morning flight with his wife and my fabulous grand daughter Annabelle.  A public thank you and a big hug for JJ. 

Posted by Shirley at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

This is the 4th little quilt in my series in which I am exploring multiple ways to transfer my figure drawings to fabric. 

It started as a full piece of white fabric.  The figures were traced on the fabric with an Ebony pencil, and painted with regular brushes and thickened procion MX dyes.  Then the background was painted, stenciled with sequin waste and net, and stamped - with the same dyes.  After 24 hours to dry, the excess dye was washed out.  The figures were then free-motion stitched through all 3 layers and the binding applied

Next I might try Shiva Painstiks - I bought them 4 years ago and have never tried them.  This is all play and I'm having so much fun! 

Posted by Shirley at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)