"I begin with an idea ... and then it becomes something else"
~ Picasso

Saturday, 13 August 2011

Printing and playing with geospun textiles

Hello ... thank you for visiting today

I'm hoping to get this blog back on track now as I have a few weeks where I will have a little more time to devote to blogging and there is so much to share ... so I shall get on then ...

Biddy Picard
I love to visit galleries every chance I get and I'm very lucky that there are many exhibitions of beautiful and inspiring work close to where I live. I do try to keep up with as many as I can and I have a growing collection of art cards, original prints and small original pieces of work which I keep in my sketchbooks

Recent exhibitions have included paintings by John Piper and beautiful ceramics by Linda Styles at The Lighthouse Gallery in Penzance and the exhibition of work by The Penwith Printmakers at The Crypt Gallery in St. Ives

I think I pick this catalogue up each time I go but it's very useful and explains all the different types of making an original print ... intaglio printmaking including etching and stone lithography, relief printing including collographs, woodcut and wood engraving, monoprinting and screen printing and also contains information on the members' work. So interesting to see the many different styles of work too

I went with my friend Jo to see the current exhibition after our Crow Day. On that particular day Carol Lander was moderating and I was so pleased to meet her and be able to chat to her about her work

meeting Carol Lander
Carol creates the most beautiful linocut prints often featuring sead heads and seed pods which is a subject close to my own heart

I fell in love with the image on the left which is called "Moon Flowers" and I was so lucky that Carol sent me a copy of the print on a card in the post to me

thank you so much Carol ♥

moon flowers
Carol was very generous with her time and explained how she builds up the layers of her images by printing and then cutting into the same linocut several times to create prints that are many colours and shades. This method means only a limited number of prints can be made and can never be reproduced

This is another card I bought which was printed in this way
I chose it because of my love of the umbelliferous shapes

if you are ever down in St. Ives when this exhibition is on
I would recommend it

coming up ... at The Crypt Gallery, St. Ives
September 24th - October 7th

an exhibition of work by
Brian Busselle, Stuart Thorn and John Higgins
St. Ives Society of Artists Gallery in Norway Square regularly have original printed work by two of my favourite artists Peter Wray and Marie Keeling. I have been collecting small original prints on cards by both artists

Peter Wray
original collagraph by Marie Keeling
Marie Keeling
I'm saving up to go on a workshop with Peter Wray
but they get pretty booked up so will probably be next year now
something to look forward to!

Peter Wray
love this print by Peter Wray because it reminds me of Cornish lichen found everywhere in St. Ives on the granite walls and rooftops
and I'm noticing printed designs everywhere right now
they are especially popular at the moment

late summer prints in Country Homes and Interiors magazine

and an article on Angie Lewin and her printing process and designs
in the September issue of Handmade Living magazine

and this would have been the appropriate time to share with you some dry point printing I did on a workshop with Jesse Leroy Smith but, as I write this, I'm not sure where the prints are ... so no doubt they will come out in a later post at some stage ...

... instead I shall share with you
a new material that I've been playing with ...

it was sent to me by Chris Gray of Butterfly Threads
and she calls it butterfly geospun textile fabric
she is currently selling it on her stall at The Festival of Quilts
and she will be at The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate

Chris Gray
Butterfly Threads
STALL E52

Chris sent it to me because she knows I love to heat, melt and bond things. It's a white fabric very similar to fibretex but softer

I painted a large fat quarter size of it with watered down acrylic paints in colours of St. Ives bay. I found it best to give the fabric a good soaking in cold water before painting. Then left it to dry outside on the washing line

















once the paint was dry
I cut into strips and zapped with my heat gun
the strips crinkled up nicely and the colours deepened
oh I had such fun!

I love these!

and then I made some beads

they look a little "alien" with knobbly bits on
so I highlighted these with gold
I think I will keep them ...
I shall enjoy using them in my projects

this past week I have been listing more of my beads in my shop
there are still just a few left
and I shall be listing more over the weekend

and I can take custom orders for the next three weeks
if you are interested in a particular colour scheme or size

just let me know what you would like to see in the shop

my shop

I just got back from a wonderful trip to The Festival of Quilts
where I met up with so many lovely, lovely blog friends

the quilts were amazing and I took loads of photos
also did a little shopping too ...

I will get my photos organised and post some of the quilts here
have a lovely weekend and thank you for visiting

Carolyn

30 comments:

Patricia said...

This was a thrill to read and see. Thank you for taking us all with you on such an aesthetic journey!

vilterietje said...

beautiful blog! love the beads yoy made, but didn't understand how you made them.
have a nice weekend:)

Shoshi said...

Thank you for a lovely post full of artistic contributions, Carolyn! A real delight. I especially like the lino-prints - I had no idea one could get such a delicate effect from this medium. And I simply adore what you've done with this new fabric. That would be fun to try!!

Sea said...

You are so lucky living in St Ives, I don't count myself as particularly "arty"...but the sheer beauty of St Ives captured me. I hope to return their one day (I visited for a day in 1975 and 1976 whilst on a school trip to Penzance.)

Mermaid33 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mermaid33 said...

your blog has some really interesting ideas and news ...love the prints and your knobbly beads and all the sea coloured beads , please place some sea coloured in your shop. Inspiring !

CAROLYN SAXBY said...

New beads in the shop tomorrow ;o)
Thank you xo

Sandies' Patch said...

What a feast for the eyes!
I liked the 'Moonflower' print too, they are all lovely!
Sorry I didn't get back to you re the N.E.C but, my sister took ill and I couldn't get to the show anyway. I was so looking forward to it and meeting like-minded Bloggers too.
Looking forward to your post on the Festival of Quilts....

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,
Sandie xx

Sandies' Patch said...

P.S the new beads look softer... and the colours perfectly capture St.Ives' colours!

Sandie xx

Lynn Cohen said...

What awesome art you got to see...and your fabulous beads are to die for.

Julie Shackson said...

Oooh lovely start to my Sunday! What a lovely range of printing techniques, and as ever, your painted pieces are fabulous.

Sandra Wyman said...

Really enjoyed this - I'm really into printmaking and shall definitely get some of the new material at the Harrogate Show. Great to meet you at FOQ - and a great pity we didn't have longer to chat!

Cathie said...

Have always admired beautiful print making. These beads - spectacular.

Helen Smith said...

So lovely to see all the beautiful prints - thank you - I could get quite obsessed with printmaking! And I really love those crinkled up strips too... *sigh* so many things I would like to try!

mano said...

wonderful art in cornwall! It's a pity that I can't see all these works at original locations..

Anonymous said...

Wonderful as always. What a treat for a Monday morning.

Clare Wassermann said...

phwah what a post! You are a busy bee! x

Lynda Howells said...

everyone has said what l wanted so say...so l will just say...amazing x lynda x

dissertation topics said...

Thanks for the article. Very interesting.

Catharina Maria said...

I am always to late in your shop .
I love these beads and your hearts as well !
xox ♥RINI♥

Lynn Holland said...

Lovely to hear from you again and great photo's of your beads. Sent a couple of them to a friend today in a little tin of inspirational pieces, she likes to dabble.
Where you live among the blues of the seaside, I live among the greens of the moorlands. Am off out with the camera tomorrow to capture the heather which is looking fantastic just now
Lynn xxx

Sue Krekorian said...

Lovely lovely post! Enjoying these St Ives colours in St Mary's at the moment. They feed my soul. Loving those beads, loving it all. xxx

Elizabeth said...

I am thrilled that you have opened an ETSY shop!! I just added you to my CIRCLE!!!! Love your beads and all of the beautiful art work and printing that you shared with us!!!
So glad to have you back!!!

Barb Cady said...

I so enjoy your posts, I'm sure if you put them in a book it would sell out, I'd buy one! Thank you,scrummy things to set the pulses racing xx

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Fingers crossed that I'm able to post this time - having tried a few days ago without success, Blogger just wouldn't let me!

Love Carol Lander's work and have long been an admirer - the two prints you have featured are stunning. A fan of Marie's work too and just love the sea colours in your beads. Have a good week. Lesley x

Sophie Munns said...

Wow Carolyn!
Loved this post...and this blog...I dont think Ive visited here before ...or did you change it a little?
Seeds and pods.... Im thinking...Maybe ...just maybe I will get to St Ives to see this show... fingers crossed.
I think I shall have to send homage blog visitors over here for a look!
When i get to post there... on so busy.
So pleased I dropped in.
Sophie

sharon young said...

As usual carolyn, a lovely lively colourful post, i adore the beads, hope I can get some fabric from Ally pally next month.

thesis writing help said...

very cool post! thanks!

BeadBag said...

Beautiful blog - I am also a beader and love your bead ideas.

Mimiblue said...

This fabric "Papillon geospun" almost give back a better result than Tyvek to heat beads... In France, I dont know if we have equivalent product ? Do you know that ? I can"t buy foreign products with my bank so I hope to find similar in France. Can you help me ?