a GOOD day to dye.......

as Worf on Star Trek would say...... AND as I definitely say!

I FINALLY got to try the deconstructed screen printing that I've been gearing up for all these many months. Today was THE day!

I started this morning, mixing the dye paste, getting the screens ready. I did two screens to start. Both used leaves from my yard, one had some bubble wrap under the leaves and the other had the texture from wettened newspaper under the leaf. Here are the screens after pre-print, while they are drying:

The orange one is about 8X10" and the blue one is 10-11" square. Click on any of the images on this post, and you will get a slightly larger view (about double).

OK, so the screens are drying. I decided I'd better soda-soak some cloth, and so I did that. Next, I march myself into the house and take a short nap (well, it IS Sunday, and it IS hot outside!!). Then I routed out all the stuff I need to finish those last two print-table pad thingys.They are 3'X4', foam, covered with carpet pad, covered with vinyl, covered with another polyester felt matress pad. Got those finished, and so finally I'm ready to pin my white cotton onto one of the print tables, and have at it. I didn't try to take in-process pics, but did take one of every print. Keep in mind that ALL of these images were produced using at least one over-print from the same screen. I think that was more than half the fun of doing this. Here is the entire set of prints in one long shot:

And here are individual shots of each print on this board - I don't think I have favorites, yet, but I may change my mind as I start to work with them more:



I'm missing one of the small ones, but I can't figure out which one. I must have lost it on the transfer.... or lost track in my album. While this is certainly not the end-all and be-all of deconstructed screen printing, I am quite pleased with the results of my first effort, and very anxious to have them finish batching so I can wash them out and have a really good look! This is definitely a try again process - I loved working on it! My process info is a result of Kerr Grabowski's dvd - check her website to order - well worth the cost!