Printing

Hi Everyone! I needed to take a break last week, so I moved Wandering Camera to this week. This month the photos are a mixed bag. I took a few photos of the lunar eclipse through a telescope. The Girl and Her Cat are continuing their adventures in the north while I continue to work in my atelier.

I had intended to use my telescope for the lunar eclipse, so I got everything set up the night before. The forecast had also called for clear skies, so I thought I was all set. Then the not-so-proverbial clouds rolled in the next day. Nevertheless, we decided to spend the evening in the garden and hope for the best.

Time went by and then, very suddenly, my husband spotted the moon. I have been watching and photographing lunar eclipses for a while now, and this one was particularly dark. We could barely see it. Even a thin layer of cloud made it completely invisible. It came out just long enough for me to take this photo of totality, then it went into hiding behind the clouds again.

I almost gave up hope of seeing the exit which I find most interesting. However, just when the exit started, the clouds parted to reveal a crystal clear moon. During the entry and exit phases, Earth’s Ozone layer scatters red light. It also lets through some blue light which is otherwise filtered out by the atmosphere. The blue band along with Earth’s shadow cast over the moon are nothing short of awe-inspiring.

I am looking forward to spending a lot more time under the stars, browsing the sky with my telescope. I love the blend of curiosity and creativity they evoke in me.

I have been keeping a very short ( no more than 5-7 items) play-list to stay focused and fulfill my curiosity. I like calling it a play-list instead of a to-do list because I much prefer a playground over a classroom. This certainly was at the top of that list.

Block Printing

Getting acquainted with the new tools my husband got for me on a small piece before I start working on a large project. I couldn’t pass up a chance of taking a b&w photo before starting on the large project.

The large one is almost finished. I will share more of my process and something very special next week.

Distant Pages

In the meantime The Girl and Her Cat have ventured further into the stories of the north. This blue book of paintings was inspired by my love of all things north, specially mythology and stories.

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

The Shepherd

I would have loved to hear the stories of ancient voyages the shepherd is telling them, but those stories are for their ears only.

Not only did my husband and I have a week of anxiety (it’s all fine now), but lately there is also nothing but grimness everywhere. I needed a break to curl in within my own world that only resides in my head. I do hope these posts give you some joy. I am looking forward to sharing more creative and curious adventures with you soon.

I look forward to seeing your photos and reading about them.

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The Idea

I have been doing block prints on paper for a while. Printing on fabric would be new to me. This was just the occasion for trying that out.

The Raven was certainly going to be a central part of the picture, but the context was not quite clear to me at first. Visiting a favourite spot, a grove of oak trees, sparked an idea. What if, on All Hallows Eve, for that one night, the spirits of the trees are set free as birds! They get to spread their wings and fly across the world.

Who else but the adventurous Girl and her Cat would venture into the woods to witness such a magical moment, perhaps even talk to the raven spirit of this ancient tree.

Then, one Sunday, the idea materialised into a drawing.

The Making

I find block carving extremely calming. Just like the Girl and her Cat, with my kitty right beside me, I ventured into the world of bringing the spirit of a tree to life.

The Printing

This is the part where I stepped into the unknown territory. The new Speedball fabric ink I got kept drying out on me, causing very blotchy prints. After a few test prints, I gave up and went back to my favourite ink which tends to stay wet longer. That way I could mix a couple of inks to get the right colour and pull a few prints with ease.

The Not So Magical Moments

Of course, there had to be a few hiccups. Two of my sweet kitties got sick at the same time, both needing a lot of TLC. Tight on schedule, but I made it.

My iron decided to stop working at 10:30 at night, right before I started ironing the fabric pieces for printing. My dear husband mended the cable while I got everything else ready.

I had to wash the old Speedball ink off the block before I could restart with the new ink. That caused the block to bend, making it impossible for me to apply ink properly. After several unsuccessful test prints, I had to call it a night. I set the block under LOTS of books to try and make it flat again and went to bed.

These are the test prints. With the slight changes I made on every print, I saw improvements. That was extremely encouraging. I wanted to do a few colour fastness and wash tests, but I ran out of time. The bottom three I saved for a later day for that purpose.

The Joy of Success

Next day, much to my delight, I was able to very successfully pull a few prints by applying all the modifications I figured out the night before.

I set them to dry on the laundry drying rack. The texture of the canvas fabric gave it a tapestry style look which I really love!

The Finish

With the prints almost dry, I started working on my finished project. Using one of the prints, I made a bag with pockets. The canvas fabric is stiff enough, but I still used interfacing to give it a sturdier body.

Here are a couple of photos of the inside and the back of the bag. Please click on them to see the larger phtos.

A Giveaway

As I was making the bag, I thought it would make the perfect giveaway for this festive event. It’s a 11″ x 9″ sturdy bag made of canvas fabrics with three generously sized inside pockets. I can think of so many things to use this bag for. (Bag contents not included)

My giveaways are for those who subscribe to my blog via email. This is where I share my photos and work in context and communicate with you directly. Thank you for reading and for all the wonderful comments!

The giveaway has now ended.

Just Let Me Quilt

I love taking part in Carol’s Halloween blog hops, and I am so glad that I got to participate this year again. She keeps the event fun and open, which lets me try out new ideas for my project. She also makes fantastic quilts and patterns, specially Halloween themed ones. Make sure to visit her website see her beautiful works.

I am sharing this day with these wonderful ladies –

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Inflorescence

Samelia’s Mum

Songbird Designs

The Girl And Her Cat witnessing Flight of the Tree has become one my favourite Halloween stories. I love those magical moments!

Happy Halloween Hopping!

-Soma