Vibrant Color workshop in Newark

I had a great time teaching in Newark last weekend.  The class focused on combining soy wax and MX dyes. It's a tough class to take on the road, but I had lots of help there with the prep and set-up. The class was held at the Newark Museum.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to see anything there but the classroom!

Participants experimented with three techniques, soy wax dye crayons, hot wax combined with dye and soy wax dye paste.

Judith brushes hot wax and dye through a lace doily

Created by brushing hot wax through plastic rug gripper and hardware cloth

Mary Ann adds background color with thickened dye

Layered soy wax crayon rubbings and thickened dye

 

All the "lovelies" hanging on the clothesline

Hot wax and dye stamped on, then immersed

Randy and Judy prepare the fabric for steaming

Hot wax and dye with a freezer paper mask

Soy Wax Batik on Paper

I've been playing around with using the techniques from Vibrant Color (mixing soy wax with dyes) on paper instead of fabric.  The look on paper is different than on fabric because the paper is not as absorbent.  I used acid-free, 50# sketch paper for these pieces. The dye and wax mixture was applied to the paper in a variety of ways, then steamed just as you would for fabric. After steaming, the paper is rinsed, dried and ironed.  Each piece is then brushed with several coats of water-soluble varnish.

I used the paper batiks to create a number of miniatures on canvas.  Some of the canvas edges have the added texture of screenprinting, metal leaf and sand. Below are some detail shots of the paper batiks.  You can view the finished miniatures on my website.

If you have tried this on paper, I would love to hear about your results

Vibrant Color Workshop

I've been invited to teach at the Newark Museum next spring.  They are interested in the Vibrant Color workshop on combining soy wax and dye.  I'm really excited about the opportunity to teach there.  They have a good fiber program and feature workshops with Judy Langille and Jan Myers Newbury, among others.

The workshop features three techniques for combining soy wax with MX dyes.  Crayons, which are great for writing, drawing and rubbings; dye paste, which is great for stencils and brush work; and hot printed wax, which works well with sponge stamps, brushes and dipping. What I love about these techniques is that they produce a color, luminescence and line quality that you just can't get any other way.   Below are photos of some cloth created using the techniques. You can find more information about the workshop on my website.

Silk dupioni with multiple layers of crayon rubbings

Silk habotai with crayon rubbings, immersed

Wax paste, applied through a thermofax

Wax paste applied through a stencil over a crayon rubbing background, immersed

Hot wax and dye applied with a brush and sponge, immersed

Hot wax and dye applied with a sponge, background handpainted with dye

Vibrant Color is Finally Here!

We had a few production delays, but the new DVD I'm doing with Jane Dunnewold has finally arrived. In it, Jane and I demonstrate three processes for adding MX fiber reactive dyes to soy wax.  It all started a couple of years ago when Jane began to experiment with creating soy wax dye crayons.  I helped her out with the testing, and then we started talking about adding dye to hot wax.  And things just took off from there.

For more info about the DVD or to order, visit the store at artclothstudios.com.

The dye crayons are great for drawing or writing directly on the cloth.  They also work well for rubbings to create unique pattern and texture. 

The hot wax application is one of my favorites.  You get the benefit of the color in the dye and the resist properties of the wax.  After applying the hot wax/dye mixture, it will act as a resist when the cloth is overdyed or handpainted. 

The wax paste is a creamy texture that works perfectly for stenciling or brushing directly on the fabric. The nice thing about the paste is that you can achieve the exact amount of coverage you want.  You can apply it so that it is a solid, opaque image, or you can let some of the underlying fabric show through.  It is also easy to blend multiple colors.

If you've seen the DVD or have experimented with some of the techniques, I'd love to hear about your experiences.

"Vibrant Color" Soy Wax Techniques

I'm really excited about some new ways to use soy wax. Jane Dunnewold and I have been experimenting with several techniques that involve mixing fiber reactive dyes with soy wax. For the past year and a half, Jane has worked on a recipe to create dye crayons. I initially got involved last summer by helping her test the crayons.

Jane has perfected the recipe and is marketing a soy wax blend so artists can make their own dye crayons. The soy wax crayons are perfect for drawing, writing and creating rubbings from a variety of textured items. The dye in the wax forms a permanent bond with the fabric and the excess dye easily washes out in the washing machine.

We also experimented with adding fiber reactive dyes to hot wax. I am particularly intrigued with the dye/hot wax mix. The color in the wax penetrates the fabric and the wax acts as a resist for overpainting with dye. It results in vibrant color and creates a look that is not possible with any other technique.

We have also formulated a recipe for a soy wax paste that is perfect for stenciling. It gives a softer look and allows greater control than applying thickened dye through a stencil. Refining these techniques took a lot of experimentation. Just mixing the powdered dyes with the wax gave unsatisfactory results. Now, after perfecting the techniques, we have collaborated on a DVD and workshop to introduce the process. Our first workshop was last weekend in San Antonio. Below are some photos.

The next workshop will be in San Antonio in October and the DVD is scheduled for release in July. Stay tuned for more photos as we continue to refine these techniques.

Update 6/1/11 - We now have both a book and a DVD available on the techniques. See my website for more information.