Cyanotype short course

Though I taught myself cyanotype printing, there is always an opportunity to learn from someone else new skills. There was a short 2 day course at a nearby college on cyanotypes so I jumped at the chance to improve and learn some more about this wonderful early printing technique. 

Having only used cotton fabric before I wanted to expand onto different fabrics (though only works on natural fibres) and learn how to change the colour. It was also interesting to use paper which I've never done before.In the past I used images to print, this time I made use of objects such as leaves and feathers.
 A great advantage of going to a college is the use of their fancy equipment and when the sun don't shine, a screen exposure unit is a great substitute. There is a different quality to the images, more predictable and even. With the sun, you can move the image/ object around to get a ghosting effect and also shadows can be cast to give a 3D look.

.

The thing I love about cyanotypes is the brilliant blue colour but you can remove this and tint it with tannin or tea for a sepia tone. There are definitely more ways to experiment with different coloured backgrounds and with other tints and over washes.

The image on the right was printed with natural light, see the shadow the sun cast? You won't get that using UV light.

Feather printed onto canvas using UV light.

Paper & fabric samples using UV light.

The blue is removed then dipped in tea.

New Studio

The place..

Blank space..

Moving in.

Set up!

I've moved into a new studio space.. Having moved around the last couple of months, it became impossible to work from home especially when using paint and dye! So what used to be a faint dream is now a reality, my own workspace :)


My studio is in a artists warehouse by the Thames Barrier in London with lots of other creatives. Having a seperate space from your living arrangements is certainly a good way to knukle down and get to work without other distractions. 

The thing I'm most excited about is being able to pin up all my inspirational images and my own work instead of it being hidden in folders!

Update! Contemporary Textile Fair 2016

Heavens, has it been that long since I've updated my blog?

A lot has happened that has kept me more than occupied. Between moving home (twice!), finding a new job and exhibiting at the Contemporary Textile Fair, it's been challenging updating this blog. My instagram feed on the otherhand is the best place to see what I'm making at the moment! 

So, the textile fair at the Landmark Arts Centre was once again a joy to take part in. 

As well as meeting lovely people who are interested in my work, it's great to meet fellow makers and artists and see their work and hear their experiences.

I never take for granted that people are keen to buy and are sometimes surprised when they do! This year's fair was excellent and I'm glad that getting my larger work professionally framed not only took a lot of the workload off me, but looked pretty darn good too. I left the frames unstained for buyers to decide on what they liked for their homes as we all have different tastes. 

Getting postcards printed was also a good idea; a small cost memento to be bought and serves as a excellent business card for me too. I hired an art browser to display my mounted prints and artwork which was a great space saver and easier for viewing. People do love a rummage!

Each exhibition, I find a new way to display my work and try to see how I can capture people's interest. It's always a learning curve! Overall, I was pleased with how my stand looked and it did get a lot of interest. I thought this year's fair had a good steady flow of visitors and there was lots of buying going on which is good for a springtime.

There were some workshops also happening courtesy of the Royal School of Needlework, so that also gave textile enthusiasts an extra reason to come this year.
There is a nice gentle atmosphere to this fair and standalone textile fairs are rare in the art & craft world so this one is to be treasured!