New Year & the start of a textiles range..

Long time..no blog! I do apologise! It's been a crazy end to 2009 with all manner of projects. My final project was creating silk curtain designs for a client. This is a new area for me. I had been experimenting with fabric printing on my trusty Epson R1900 and found it difficult to find useful directions on the web. So I will endeavour to do a break-down of my experience.

I bought some paper backed, printable Habotai silk samples from my brilliant supplier
(www.gicleemediasupplies.com.au)
and printed some test images on the silk. I preferred the feel of the finest silk sample (10mm) though I'd hoped for richer colours. It makes sense that the finer the silk, the less density...
So, I ploughed on and spent hours fiddling with my 'Falling Poppies' scarf design.

Silk Scarves:
To begin my experiment of creating a line of silk scarves I chose a very simple pattern using repetitions of my 'Pink Poppy' image on a blank background.

I use a free (and excellent) graphics program called GIMP to do my layout in which I flipped and rotated each poppy until I was happy with the size. Because the Epson R1900 goes through so much ink, the cartridges are small, and silk is expensive my advice is to test, test, test!
*Photo: this is the first test scarf I printed on the silk. After this I decided to have a longer scarf with larger poppies.

Settings: I was unsure of which settings I should use for the silk/material so I tested a few (Best photo, matte paper, Best photo, plain paper) and there was very little difference in colour density. I didn't use the roll feed option as the roll I had bought was twice the width of my printer. I did use the fax format option in Epson Printing Wizard after I set the print size.

I cut all my test scarves out by hand after measuring the size I wanted, placed it in the paper feed and carefully supported the material as it printed. After printing, you peel off the paper backing. Which is fun, but in my case I got my boyfriend to help me because the scarf length is quite substantial and I didn't want the silk to get dirty on my studio floor!
*Photo: Drying scarves after steam-set and wash

I decided not to steam set the printed scarves until they were sewn. The silk was slightly starchy after peeling the paper off and I thought it would be less slippery for the seamstress to handle.
My seamstress took them away to hem...

Once I got the sewn scarves back, I set about steam setting the fabric. This was done over a pot of boiling water (I used a steamer!) and I'd gently turn the scarves with tongs. They were left to dry. Once they were dry I washed and ironed them on a silk setting and when they were quite damp so as not to burn the fabric.
*Photo: Ironed and hung!

Art Exhibition pics and memories...

The Drawings of Flora - Leaf-Pollen-Petal exhibition in Melbourne was a real delight to put on.
Though, the night before I was up until 4am finishing framing and making last minute choices!


Held in New White Gallery (corner of Little Bourke Street and Hardware Lane) the show featured some of my recent works and some oldies (but goodies). Some pieces sold- which is always fun (for me) and the opening night was packed with about 50 people in attendance. I arranged to have Corinn and Nicola Strating providing some sweet irish tunes which really lifted the night and people lingered long after the finish time. Here are some photos of my work in the gallery.



Some pieces are still available so please let me know if you are interested in any. Some are also listed in my online shop.

Surfacing with new work

So, the business plan is written, the financials sorted, the framing materials at the ready...and we're off! My hope is that this year will be full of new pieces such as these (Pink Dahlia and She Knew (study II Pink Californian Poppy).

I'll be at my new stall on Father's Day (next Sunday September 7th) at Sunday Arts at the Convent (Abbotsford Convent, Victoria) if you'd like to come by and say hello to all the beautifully framed prints (new ones included!) 10am - 5pm.

5 or 6 of my framed originals will be hung in Bird's Gallery, High Street, Kew from Early September so frames are being made for me on our huge kitchen bench as I write.

I'm exhausted. I finished my business plan as I said, as well as two drawings this morning, trying to list every night/early morning on my etsy.com shop and doing the odd bit of cleaning and admin. I think I'm going to need to get up earlier in the morning. Which is probably going to be painful but worth it in the end.

O the joys of small business.

New Drawing Order of newly discovered tropical plant species! and Business, business, business...

It's been a while since my last post. I've been absorbed by my business course and finding things like my 'niche'...and learning about the dirty world of marketing....makes my head swell.
But, it's pretty interesting and my business plan is almost done. It's looking like I'll be hitting huge Trade Fairs twice a year to sell my wares to thousands of retailers looking for stock. As well as exhibiting in galleries and the like. Not to mention regularly selling through my etsy.com store. It's both exciting and terrifying.

Good news, got a drawing order whilst at the printer warehouse! Met a lad there who does treks into the jungle in the Phillipines and he's discovered a new tropical plant. He saw a few of my drawings and wants me to do a Botanical Drawing of this new species. The plant is really crazy-it grows to about the size of a dinner plate...little bit bigger... and it grows on the jungle floor. As it ages-it blackens. I'm really looking forward to doing this project. Renee-(the trekker)wants to sell prints of the drawing.

Check out the plant @: http://www.rafflesialobata.org/
The picture here is not the best quality as it's from a video that was taken, and as you can see, the blackened edges mean it's reaching the end of it's bloom time.

New drawings

These are my latest pieces. I'm particularly fond of the pink/orange poppy. I'm not certain on titles at this point. In some ways, I'm trying not to get too attached as soon they will be framed and presented to Bird's Gallery as a big set. The purple/pink dahlia will eventually have a lime green/yellow/white centre. I'm concentrating on building up the dark areas first which seems to be the way I approach most layered petal drawings.
I've been spending most of my time painting the interior of our new house and learning how to be 'handy'. I don't think I'll give up my day job...I far prefer drawing. My new studio is taking shape. I am about to emabark on a huge floor to ceiling storage cupboard with doors-as I don't concentrate well with alot of clutter. I will post photos of the cupboard project soon as well as further photos of the new dahlia!

Later that day...

They want more!
I need to do some re-framing of the two below and prepare about 5 drawings in all. All framed the same. The gallery will stock them all! Great news. So I have until August 26th to arrange that then they will be hung together at Birds Gallery, Kew.

Two pieces in Birds Gallery, Kew, Victoria!

Good news! Today I have an appointment at Birds Gallery, 236 High Street, Kew
www.birdsgallery.com.au
where I am to drop off two of my framed works. I'm certain it's true that everything happens at once! I've only just moved house and am in the throes of repainting the entire interior. So, today I dress up and scrub my hands clean of paint!
Here are the two pieces I'm taking in:
'Red Dahlia' Coloured Pencil and Pen Drawing
'Her Purple Daisy' Coloured Pencil and Pen Drawing on Watercolour Paper