Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Working in Plein Air ~ Thickened Dye + Last Chance to Win Fun Fabric!

Carol R. Eaton here for the final post in the Plien Air Series! I hope this series encouraged those who have never worked outdoors to get outside for some inspiration and fun! Remember to take another peek at the full series of posts to learn more about the awesome artists who shared their outdoor space with us! Now let's get messy printing leaves from thickened dye! 



I love using thickened dye and each time I incorporate the technique into a surface design project I learn something new. Working in plein air allows me to grab foliage from the side yard and the freedom to try out different plants. TIP: I've learned over time to grab the leaves with a more distinctive texture on the underside. My goal is to print a pattern - however - if you like a more solid design you can use leaves that are smooth on the underside. Try them both to see what appeals to you!
There are recipes out there to walk you through the steps to mixing your own print paste but being an instant gratification gal I purchase a mix from Pro Chemical & Dye! I mix the paste with water to reach the consistency of molasses and store in the container on the right. Combining a one to one ratio of soda ash/salt/baking soda I store in the container on the left. Both the wet paste and dry mixtures will store for a very long time. When I'm ready to dye I mix about a cup of the paste/water mixture and a teaspoon of the soda ash/salt/baking soda combination into a cup. I add a teaspoon of dye powder and slowly add water stirring the whole time.  You want to reach the molasses consistency again for this project.
You must wear a mask when working with dye powder!

Grab some leaves - in this case I'm using grape leaves.

We will be working on the underside of the leaf. Using a sponge brush cover the surface as best as you can. The leaves can be delicate so paint softly! 

Lay the leaf on the fabric!

I use a scrap of cloth to cover the leaf and roll a brayer over it. The consistent pressure ensures all the dye is transferred to the fabric and the cloth keeps the brayer clean for repeated use.

Remove the fabric...

Remove the leaf to reveal the print! I find the leaves are good for about 4 prints each before they get super thin and hard to work with. 
Here is another example of printed leaves. I gathered these leaves from the yard but I don't know what the name of this plant is. 

Look at the lovely details left by the textured underside of the leaf! Once the dye has cured for at least 5 hours you can wash and dry like any other dyed fabric. You can stop the design right here or keep going.

I decided the grape leaves were too plain. Once I washed and pressed the fabric I went back outside. Pinning my fabric to the table I randomly applied 3 different greens paints across the surface. I added a few swirls of Raw Sienna paint for interest and lastly I dropped gold metallic paint over the fabric - gotta have a little bling!
The fabric paint was SetaColor.

I'm happy to keep the plein air conversation going on my own blog. I love when you share photos of your creations with me allowing us to chat about the hits and the misses when creating art! Click here to hop over! 


Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a pack of awesome fat quarters! 
The winner will be announced on the 30th so hurry up and comment! 

28 comments:

  1. Very inspirational! I'm heading outdoors today!

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  2. The grape leaves look much better with the 3 greens and sienna. What pretty fabric it became. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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    1. Thanks! It's always fun to keep pushing the boundaries of a design!

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  3. This has been a fantastic month of posts Carol! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring us all to get creating outdoors. I absolutely love these leaf prints!!! (Don't count me in the giveaway - just wanted to add my two cents worth.)

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    1. So glad it was a fun month Lisa! Thanks for the smiles!

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  4. Love the definition of the veins in the leaves. Do you batch by wrapping in plastic?

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    1. Helen - When I do cover with plastic the colors are richer so it's recommended... but the reality is I sometimes don't get to it and the fabric dries quickly! I did not cover with plastic for the fabrics in this post and they were ok. However, if I was completely coating the fabric surface with a lot of color I would have made sure I took the time to cover. With larger color surfaces it would have been more noticeable if the colors were muted.

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  5. You make this all look so easy, and I suppose with all the materials at hand, and great guidance, it is relatively straightforward! I love the very practical use of a cloth between the leaf and brayer! Saves time and mess!

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    1. HA! It is convenient to gather the supplies before you get started and saves you from that panicked moment when you have to run back inside to find a forgotten tool!

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  6. Such lovely clear images of the leaves. Thanks for showing this works well with thickened dye. Fabulous month of posts, thankyou!

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    1. Thanks for the kind words Laura! The more definition on the underside of the leaf the better your results will be :)

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  7. Love your touch of bling! Nicely done!
    mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Even the natural world likes a little bling now and again!

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  8. I have tried your technique with acrylic paint, but your technique would leave the fabric a softer feel. Thanks for all the details.

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    1. JB - I hope you give the dye a try! I agree with you and like the results of dye vs paint. The paint sits on the fabric surface leaving it a bit stiff while the dye permeates the cloth with no change in the hand!

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  9. Comfrey, elecampane, mullein, mint, and the dogwood variety in my yard all would provide great texture. I'll be trying this next week. I typically work outside ... Saskatoon summers are generally sunny and hot ... so I move around to the sun, to the shade.

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    1. Wonderful - you have all the tools you need! I had to look up Saskatoon on goggle = lovely! I hope your project is great fun. Feel free to reach out if you run into any questions!

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  10. Inspiring. It is time to get out my print paste and play!

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  11. That end result, the green laid over the leaves is really striking.
    What a fun way to play and produce!

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  12. I'm anxious to try this one. I have the print paste mix and the rollers, so just need to get organized. This month has been so great and is encouraging me to get out the dyes and things that I haven't used for many years.

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  13. Very Inspiring! Love the nature printing for sure! I just bought my print paste and will be trying out some new techniques! Thanks for a wonderful blog post!

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  14. I just found a grapevine in my garden and now I know what I am going to do with it! Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your techniques.

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  15. I just found a grapevine in my garden and now I know what I am going to do with it! Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your techniques.

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  16. What fun! Just my Thing, and I have been thinking "I need a recipe that puts soda ash right in the dye". How did you know?! Thanks.

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  17. What fun! Just my Thing, and I have been thinking "I need a recipe that puts soda ash right in the dye". How did you know?! Thanks.

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  18. I love having so much information. Cyndi, I took 2 classes in Houston from you, and you were such a good teacher; encouraging, adventurous, and totally low-stress (have had some terrible diva experiences there). I am pulling out my Shiva paintsticks!!!

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