Cyanotypes and Ink Making

 Hi everyone,

Making Cyanotypes, or sun prints last summer was fun, and I am looking forward to the season ahead.

Eco printing on fabric sounds great too. I can only imagine what the kitchen would look like when I finished whipping up a batch, using fabric and leaves, bits of iron, string, alum, vinegar, and a cauldron for boiling up the whole lot. 

 For now, back to Cyanotypes.

Below a print of my Grandmother, Lilas. First printed as a negative and then placed on watercolour paper brushed with Cyanotype mixture. The sun does the rest of the work.

   

 Original picture. 

I decided not to "fix" the picture in Photoshop by removing all the nicks etc. I like it the way it is. 

My grandmother, Lilas, was a midwife. She also travelled with and assisted the doctor. If the doctor wasn't available, and he often was not, my grandmother went wherever she was called, day or night, alone. 

My mother told me that my grandmother was also called upon to "lay" people out.

Back then life was more uncertain and precarious, and I know it wasn't an easy life for a lot of people. 

My mother told me a few stories about my grandmother's life and work. ( I wrote them down.) 

I only remember seeing her a hand full of times. She was quiet, and warmth and serenity radiated out from her person.

 Apparently, Grandmother cried a lot, but she carried on, brought up a large family, and never turned  down anyone who needed help. Nor, as far as I know did she take any payment. All that makes her remarkable in my books. 

                                                                                * * *

Ink Making...

                                                       

                                                      Sumac gathered for ink making.

 Late last fall,  I decided to make ink.  So I gathered some Sumac,, but there were too many bugs in most of the Sumac at that time. This fall I will gather earlier.

        The ink turned out lighter than expected, so will make a few adjustments next year and                                                          see what happens. 

                                    Trying a dagger brush from Jackson's Art. 

Jason Logan from Toronto has a book out titled Make Ink that I have ordered. Click here to read an article about him and his reasons for making natural botanical ink.

A little greenery...

                                          Succulents living quite well on a cold window sill.

                                                            Dried  Fern and clover

Matcha Latte

Asparagus Fern...Love ferns.

No mention of books here for awhile, so…

 A Year Unfolding. 

 I admire Angela’s expressive, detailed style. She’s an amazing  artist.

Check out her website here

The sun shines on the wall now. Such an uplifting sight.

Spring has begun to stir.

Thank you for your comments on my last post. Fun to read the different opinions about the Snowman. 

Cultivate Your Dreams

                                   Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. 

                                                Thanks to all for hosting.  

Outwitted

 

November 8, 2016
 
We had a heavy, feathery snow fall last week, but as you can see it disappeared and I am still kicking through the leaves on the trails. On this trail, there are bird feeders every so many feet. I was dropping seeds into one when when I heard the tiniest of peeps. After scanning the trees, I spied a wee chickadee. Clearly excited she swooped down several times to investigate, but wouldn't stay long enough to grab a seed. She did, however, check the ground just in case I may have dropped one. Nope not one! Then she flew up to branch at eye level and looked me in the eye. After that she flew across the path to a tree where she teetered on the limb and continued to crisscross the path from tree to tree, making, as she flew, a great flourish of it. When she reached the bottom of the hill, she chirped loudly and watched me ascend. Once I was safely at the bottom, a black and white blur whirled by overhead. I turned and looked up the hill;  I could faintly see her feasting at the feeder. Well done birdie!

Sunlit 

I'm drawn to moss. It's always looks so fresh and green.

Sketching...

 I'm gathering the sketchbooks.  I think there must be one or two somewhere with bits and bobs inside. I like smooth paper, so if it isn't smooth enough I turn it into a journal. I do draw in the margins though.

As you can see, my sketchbooks are not watercolour friendly.

Calendar dreaming...maybe next year.

I find it difficult to use black ink. I prefer blue.

On the needles..

The Violet Cap: a lacy hat from the 1st issue of Making Magazine.

For those who asked, unfortunately The Maestro will not be made into a print at this time because it's too large for my scanner. It needs to be scanned in parts and photo shopped...above my capabilities just now. I could have the printer scan it but it costs a lot. So very sorry.

Thank you for reading along.

 Enjoy the week...

For the Birds

"All is Bright"

If you've been reading along, you will know that I love birds. I'm always happy to go to the woods to watch them or just sit somewhere and listen to them sing. In the winter the world is quieter, but, just now, the little chickadees are still singing their happy song. 

You may remember this little fellow. I originally painted him last year using mostly FW inks; however,  because he tickles my fancy so much, I decided to give him another go using mostly watercolours.

I've drawn five birds recently. Four of them border on the exotic; two are from Africa, and all have bits and bobs from my imagination. I hope to start painting them early in the New Year.

The Maestro

A preliminary sketch also to be painted in the New Year. I outlined this little fellow in red  so that he would show up better. A steady hand helps. Mine wavers as soon as I concentrate on drawing a straight line. It's like carrying a large tray of tea and looking down at it and then, sometimes, it can be all over but the crying. :)

But I digress... I think this birdie is about to conduct The Magic Flute, or is that lyre?

Lady Slipper with bluebells on Fabriano Artistico 300lb (640gsm) hot press paper. I'd like to scale this up and add more flowers...some day.  This is the first time I used Fabriano's heavy paper. What a difference in how the paint flows on different weights and makes of paper.

 

There's also a small drawing of a part of my Christmas Cactus ready to be painted on a cold pressed watercolour card for someone.

 If you are preparing for Christmas, I hope all is running along like clockwork. Things are ticking along here and I am having fun. I'll be making cookies etc. this weekend. It's  such a lovely time of year! 

Enjoy...

Nature Studies

Drawing recently from nature, Queen Anne's Lace or wild carrot. To me, it's not your average weed. It's intricate and delicate and before it blooms it's wrapped in a wondrous package.
I found wild coneflower, or echinacea too.

To answer a request, I'm including a list of the art supplies I use and a few tips that I've learned.

Staedtler pencils. 2H-6H, (H for hard) but I prefer the 2H, although, occasionally, I use soft leads or B pencils, especially 2B.
FW acrylic inks.
Kneaded Erasers and plastic erasers.
Tracing paper ~ a must, unless you draw straight onto your watercolour paper.
Sketchbooks ~ look for good quality paper.

After researching watercolour paper and trying several different brands, I prefer hot pressed paper for painting.  Fabriano Artistico and Arches are acid free and 100% cotton. I use140 lb weight. (The higher the weight the thicker the paper.) I prefer Fabriano, but I am getting use to Arches. It requires a light hand, but can take several glazes.
I use watercolour blocks that are glued on all four sides; the paper doesn't require stretching.  (There's a small hole at the top of the block, you insert a thin knife and go around the block to remove the sheet from the block when your painting is completely dry.) I also buy large single sheets. It's cheaper that way, but the paper requires stretching or it will buckle and it takes time to cut the sheets into the sizes you want. ( A scary breath holding activity!)

I occasionally use Strathmore Watercolour cards; they are cold pressed ~ not as smooth as hot pressed paper.

Watercolour paints. I mostly use Schmincke and W& N. Windsor and Newton is bright and clear.  Schmincke can look chalky sometimes and I  do like Sennelier paints as well.  I also have a set of Derwent watercolour pencils that I received as a gift. In the beginning, I was using the watercolour pencils to paint with.  Around here, they are cheaper if you buy them individually.

* If you are just starting out, I would recommend that you buy good quality watercolour paper, a few tubes or pans of professional watercolour paint/or good quality watercolour pencils. They do make a huge difference! A (sable or faux sable) #4 watercolour brush is, in my opinion, a must. They are expensive, but should last a very long time if treated well. Never use it to mix paint with. (A tall order--one sometimes forgets.)  And you will annihilate it if you use it to apply FW inks.

Interesting optional items: Masking fluid and Gum Arabic.
Masking fluid is used to cover small stamens etc, that you will paint later, or any area that you want to keep white while you are painting. When it is completely dry, you rub your fingers over it to remove it.

Gum Arabic extends the drying time of paint, adds vibrancy, and is also used to add shine to eyes, reflections etc.

In the end, it's all about personal preferences, so experiment, have fun in the process and you will  find out what works for you.

  Until next time enjoy creating...

Nesting

Watercolour and ink.

I finally finished the mother and baby birds. The pic could be aligned a bit better, but that's the third pic I've taken and they are all the same.  The old nursery rhyme: there was a crooked man woman who walked a crooked mile comes to mind.

I was on a hike yesterday, but without my camera so, unfortunately, I don't have pics of the wildflowers that are beginning to bloom. I found a new one that I haven't seen before named the trout lily. It's a delicate beauty. They are, at best, ephemeral, so I better get back out there and take a few pictures before they disappear.

I hope you are enjoying the week. It's bright and sunny here...so very wonderful!