". Arranged Words: bookmarks
Showing posts with label bookmarks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bookmarks. Show all posts

28 Jun 2022

Sun Print Botanicals

 


Cyanotype on 140 lb. hot press watercolour paper. 

Hi everyone,

Cyanotypes or the blueprint process has been around since 1842, but, somehow, I am just catching up with it. One look at Cyanotype prints and I felt inspired enough to give it a go. It has taken me away from painting for a while, but I've had fun messing around with different leaves, compositions etc. 

A couple of years ago, I also tried eco-printing. Many people use the stove top method. i.e. A big pot, filled with water with several rusty nails thrown in. The 
leaves and flowers are rolled in paper or material and then tied together and simmered for one to two hours. Since I didn't have any old pots or rusty nails, (can do without the nails) or, the other method, a heat press, I used alum (mordant) and vinegar, and I steamed ironed the material between two Teflon sheets. Initial blog post here.

                                                          Eco-printing/Botanical Prints
 
         Interesting to see what colours arrive on the paper and what flowers and leaves print the best.
                              The heat press or stove top method would enhance the colour.

        
      This print was very light, so I used  watercolour and pastels to pump up the colour.

A while ago I bought a beautiful, vibrant eco printed bunting from an Etsy shop. I think the seller uses a heat press to make her prints. That beautiful bunting rang my botanical printing inspiration bells again. So, who knows, maybe this fall, (never say never) I may try the stove top method. Also, I recently found out that steaming for about 15 minutes will work well for fabric, especially if iron mordant is used. (More research needed.)

In the meantime, I will continue to experiment with the beautiful blue Cyanotypes. The possibilities seem endless.

   Image made from Buttercups, Solomon Seal berries and a feather.
                            
This print was made on bought prepared paper. I do love the light blue colour. It reminds me of the old airmail paper that I loved so much. I tried a few more with that paper and most are too light. Since the exposure time was the same, perhaps the paper didn't receive an equal amount of liquid. 

A mixture I used on rough watercolour paper. There's a bit of texture.

                                                       Taken along the Parkway on an idyllic day.


Just had to try printing photo negatives too. I love this print! It looks mysterious. The clouds are amazing even though the negative slipped in the frame and lost the top of a few trees. "The process of making is a learning tool." Not sure where I read that quote, but how true it is.

Also thinking of printing a portrait of my grandmother. In the future, I hope to print on fabric too. At this point, I have a particular item in mind.


                                               On hot press watercolour paper. 

                      I added an ounce of three volume peroxide to the water to deepen the blue, but that wasn't necessary.  Looking ahead, I would like to add more depth and texture to the blueprints as well.



After 5 minutes in the sun, but before the water bath.








Bookmarks

The Cyanotype or the blueprint process has an interesting history. It was invented by John Herschel in 1842. You can read about it here.

       I am happy to say that I was out walking twice last week. What a relief! 😌 After a year, my foot is much better but still not 100%. A word to the wise: pamper your tootsies lovely people.



"Til next time...Cultivate Your Dreams!

 Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. 

                                                  Many thanks to the hosts!



27 Apr 2021

Leaning Towards Spring

 

 
Hi there,

I am happy to say it looks like spring out there.

Along with spring, it's my 8th year blog anniversary. A big thank you to everyone who follows and/or visits my blog. Like countless other Bloggers, I can happily say that blogging has enriched my life. I have met many wonderful people and made dear friends in blog land.  A big thank you for reading along. I really do appreciate it. 

In July, Feed burner will no longer send my email followers notification of my new posts. Does anyone know of a free program that will take over this task?  If you are on my email list, you can choose to follow along using a reader such as Bloglovin. Personally I like Feedly. In the meantime, I hope to find a new program to transfer my email followers to. I will keep you posted. 

              Not much greenery yet on the farms. I'd love to tour that old house with the cupola way back                                                                               there in the field.


Dare I mention Covid?  (Skip if you wish.) I know everyone has reached their upper limit when it comes to this topic. But, compared to other countries, we are lucky to have supplies, and here, in Canada, the vaccines are trickling in. We are not out of the woods, or in any way in an ideal situation, but military and Red Cross workers are on their way to help alleviate some of the strain in the hospitals here in Ontario. The wonderful nurses and doctors must be somewhat relieved that some help is on the way.
   Further, we are in lockdown again, and there are a few cases of Covid in the building I live in. However, I am scheduled to receive my first vaccine on Friday. That thought gives me a feeling of lightness and trepidation at the same time. Trepidation because I don't get along well with the flu shot. (I'm keeping up positive vibes for this vaccine though.) It may be late fall or later before everyone gets a second vaccine. My second jab will fall on birthday in the middle of August. ( The best gift, I reckon. The gift of life.)
In some parts of the U.S., fully vaccinated people are having dinner with friends and family.  So keep the faith. It will get better. Soon...very soon.


The Trout Lilies with their yellow bonnets are blooming. Earlier, the wildflowers didn't look like they would amount to much because we had some very warm temperatures and no rain early on. Then came two days of snow which the Trout Lilies and other wildflowers seem to love. 
What a heart warming sight!

* * * 
From the Art Corner


Watercolour book marks.



                                                              
                                                             Pastel on Pastelmat paper.

                      I felt the urge to be bold with this painting. I've been following an Instagram account that post sunrises and sunsets pictures from Australia and New Zealand. Such amazing beauty!  So I am sure the colourful inspiration for this painting comes from admiring those stunning pics.



                              I hope everyone is well and enjoying spring or fall, or the tropics!

                                                                         'Til Next Time...

                                                                   Cultivate Your Dreams

Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. Thank you, ladies, for hosting.

24 Apr 2018

Touched by Spring

A bit of green along the edge of the trail. O, and that sky blue!
The much anticipated and wholly appreciated spring season has arrived. In just a few days, nature has thrown of its icy cloak. It has been touched by the sun, and it has responded in celebration.

Now the days are radiant with sunlight and bird song, and I can't possibly express how delighted that makes me feel. The longed for radiance of the sun brings with it a heightened sense of freedom, wonder, and, well, just plain old joy. As heard below, that joy trickles down to every level of the awakening world.

Love's chorus.

Trillium  shoots. 
From what I can see, we may, if it stays cool, (although so far it's been quite warm) have a bumper crop of Trillium this year.

           Reaching for the light. I love the texture, form, and stripped bark on this sycamore.

 I'd like to paint the blue shadows and textures of the birch.
                                            From the eye of the birch. "Here's looking at you kid."

 In the marsh, the ravenous, spry squirrels and chipmunks are scurrying about. The red wing blackbird courts a mate with his flat off key song, the geese are honking merrily and even their quieter cousins the ducks are honking along as they fly overhead. And if all that isn't enough, you can smell spring in the air.



And the willows, the willows are blushing too because it's all brand new.

 * * * 


Sometimes a painting just doesn't work out. Might be a colour issue, a spill, an over reach for the high bar of perfection. (I'm learning to get over it and just paint. After all enjoyment is the name of the game.) So, if unsavory things happen, I now cut out whatever is salvageable and fashion unconventional bookmarks. I will tuck them into cards etc.


A second painting of the Snowdrops on lovely 300lb Moulin du Roy paper. White flowers are a challenge.  However, I like the lighter grey I used this time around. (A mix of permanent rose and viridian green.)


* * *

Before I sprint off to the drawing board, I'll leave you with a few spring quotes.



"It's spring fever. That's what the name of it is. And when you've got it you want--oh, you quite don't know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache you want it so."

Mark Twain

"Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love." -- Sitting Bull

"Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher."

William Wordsworth 
 
'Til next time...Cultivate your dreams...

19 Sept 2017

A few things

Hi everyone!

Painted by the best painter.

Crab Apples


 Time to harvest the lemon balm on the left that I grew from seed.  It makes lovely tea. My smiling bee buddy, a flea market find for a tuppence ~ 25 cents.

* * *
 
Finished the bookmarks that I had a pic of in the last post. This is the back.  Definitely a trial run because I had a problem with the laminating sheets. Overnight the backing fell off, so I attached     another sticky side to the back, but it was hard to cut out properly.  Obviously, a laminating machine would work better.

Darker ink would help too, I reckon. Perhaps a heavier 005 Micron pen instead of the finer point, or, better yet, a Rapidograph pen.  Black ink does show up better than my favourite blue. 
*Squinting eyes.*


A fit? Not sure but a lot of tea does go well with a good book.

 * * *



Shawl progress. . . finished the nupps section.  In a you tube video, I recently saw someone use a crochet hook to pick up the five stands of the nupp on the knit side. The pattern says to pick the nupps up on the purl side. I found that a smaller needle worked well for that.  For you knitters out there, in hindsight, if you haven't made nupps before, I am sure the crochet hook method on the knit side would have been easier.



 * * *

Slowly putting my container gardens to bed, although, luckily, there are thriving bright spots left.

Pretty Verbena

Impatiens

Elegant Fuchsias

Begonia. Absolutely love this colour!

Mixing paint to match the begonia. I think the pink is straight from the tube. It's difficult to see colour correctly, so an easier way is to fashion a cut out 1/2 inch and a 1 inch frame out of heavy paper to hold against the flower, or even a photograph so that you can isolate the colour. ( Not sure where I saw that, but it's from those who know.)




 

After I said that there wasn't a bird in sight, a flock of Starlings arrived to feast on seeds in the trees. I was trying to follow them and I missed so the video trails off in the end. Do forgive.

Have a lovely week...

Cultivate a Dream