Archive for the ‘rust dye’ Category

Hot Studio. Paper Collage Making.

Monday, December 30th, 2019

Too hot to go to the studio today (43 C – 110 F) so I’m working in the house studio. Messing up the the large table, workbench, I just painted for Xmas dinner. It will now become stained and marked until, I paint it for the next event, or next lot of visitors.

Making collage with vintage and rust papers.

The process of tearing and pasting helps me to slow down and be in the moment. Something I need right now after the rush of appointments and Christmas.

I’m using lots of old paper and pages from antique French magazines disintegrated from age and torn from the long trip back in my luggage, from Paris.

So, I have been using them in my mixed media and collage projects.

On one trip to France I bought home a heap of middle eastern cake papers. I think they were $1 a pack. So I got a mix of colours. They are great for adding pattern and texture.

The inside of window envelopes have great patterns for collage. I often use envelopes to make little books and peepholes in the book pages.

Collages finished today.

Collage 1. Delivery

Collage 2. The Carriers

Collage 3. Mardlarking. Thames.

Collage 4. Salvage

Rust Dyeing Fabrics

Friday, December 28th, 2018


Summer in Australia is the perfect time for eco and botanical dyeing outdoors. During Winter, I like to save little bits of fabrics, lace and papers in a box for Summer dyeing. This is how I rust dye my fabrics….

Many years ago, I collected heaps of metal junk to use for sculpture. As, I no longer weld, I now use the rusty bits and pieces that are scattered all over my property, for my dyeing projects.

The gathering of the metal objects, wrapping them with the fabric spraying with vinegar and binding with rope and wire is quite relaxing. I call it mummy wrapping.


Rust Dyeing Fabric

MATERIALS:

Fabric: cottons silk… work best

Rusty metal objects: cooking pans, car parts, rusty nails, screws, pipes, copper objects

Wire, string, wool or rope just something to bind the fabric to the rusted item

Plain white vinegar

Rubber gloves

Plastic sheet or bags

METHOD

1. Gather all the items together wet your fabric and spray with vinegar.

2. Wrap the fabric around and around the rusted object as best you can.

3. Make sure it’s tightly bound with the string rope or wire. Cover with plastic so it stays moist.

4. Leave and wait for the magic to happen.

5. This may take an hour or 2 or if you want deeper textures of rust a week or 2. Then un- wrap your beautiful rusted fabric.

6. Once the fabric is dyed to the depth you want, soak for 30mins in warm water with a couple of tablespoons of salt to make the rust dye colourfast.

7. Wash gently in warm water with soap powder rinse dry and voila!

I also rust papers and larger pieces of fabric using a different method that I will share in a future post.

To see more of my free tutorials please go here

Old Army Blanket and Collage.

Friday, April 21st, 2017

Still working on small textile collages.

 

 

I found an old army blanket from my childhood and couldn’t resist  it’s raggedy worn, loveliness and further rusted it. Leaving it in the elements outside for a few weeks.

 

 

It can take ages moving pieces around to get the right composition.

 

 

then sometimes it just happens straight away.

 

 

 

Adding more marks…

 

The good thing about using a stretched canvas as a base, I can stitch right into it.

Just like using a embroidery hoop.

 

Time, Change, Erosion and Decay + Freebie Rust Dyeing Tutorial

Friday, March 17th, 2017

The process of transformation. Time, change, erosion and decay are qualities I like to celebrate. I examine and explore, the properties and possibilities, of my material and want to push the boundaries of something to get a deeper understanding.

In my latest project, I’m working with textiles over a 100 years old. I want to work with the worn and deteriorated textiles and collaborate alongside those, who in the past, so carefully stitched, mended and created, the pieces for comfort and warmth.

Each piece was once, carefully hand -stitched and now, breaking down and worn. I have very selectivity pulled apart and unpicked areas, and kept some intact.

Some areas of fabric, are so badly worn it breaks in my hands, so I have to reinforce it. Most pieces though are just left in their original state.

I then, like to push the process further with, natural & rust dying methods, mark making, hand stitching and painting with caste iron, botanical paints.

Numerous times, I expose the materials to the elements to experience the changes.

Getting to the essence of my material helps me to translate and describe its being. I rarely know the outcome of my projects and just go with the flow.

Wanting to know how to rust – dye?  Please see my  free rust – dyeing tutorial

Wallmatter Exhibition Photos – Jenny Davis – 2016

Thursday, July 14th, 2016

Wallmatter Exhibition Photos – Jenny Davis – 2016

A huge thank you to everybody who attended the opening of my new exhibition Wallmatter last Saturday. A special thank you to all the people who helped me pull it altogether and make it a special day.  I feel so blessed and encouraged with all the support shown for my artwork and the new friendships I made.

Wallmatter continues until Tuesday August 16th at The Memo, Healesville Victoria. Free Entry. All artworks are for sale.

A few photos I took the next day as I forgot my camera on opening night.

Wallmatter

An installation of paint, concrete, rust and
textiles, inspired by imperfections and
weathered surfaces, linking to the abandoned
and neglected spaces found in urban and rural
environments.

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 5s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 4s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 16s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 3s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 8s

“Surfaces and objects touched by time tell a
story and are a raw reflection of their environment.
I want to highlight the significance of a random
mark, or the crumbling texture of a wall in an
underground space. They are evidence to a
previous time in history. My abstractions are
investigations into marks and traces left behind
in the urban and rural environment.”
– Jenny Davis, Artist

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 19s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 10s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 2s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 17s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 7s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 11s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 15s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 13s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 12s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 9s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 10s

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Exhibition_2016 14s

Experiments with Concrete Cloth and Rust. Sculpture.

Sunday, May 15th, 2016

Experiments with Concrete Cloth and Rust. Sculpture.

Just a quick update about what Ive been doing lately.

 

IMGP0141s

 

Work for my exhibition was almost finished, until, I discovered a bunch of rusted textiles Id forgotten about. Now, I want to make more sculpture. A solid form with thin wafers of cloth, concrete and rust.

 

Jenny Davis_Concrete Mixed Media s7

 

Today, I’m heading into the studio to work out how to achieve this. Wet concrete is very formless so pouring, layer, upon layer of cloth then, concrete, in a mold, just wouldn’t work. The cloth would get covered with concrete on the outer edges and I want slices of cloth sticking out and visible on the outside.

 

Jenny Davis_Concrete Mixed Media 2s

 

Funny thing is, when I Googled it, all I came up with was my own experiments and work with concrete, cloth and rust.

 

Jenny Davis_Wallmatter Sculpture_ 2016

 

So, I’m now in the process of inventing how to do this:)

More details about my “Wallmatter” exhibition coming soon!

 

 

Rust & Shibori. Vintage Cigar Tins. Work in Progress.

Saturday, April 2nd, 2016

Rust & Shibori. Vintage Cigar Tins. Work in Progress.

A heap of vintage cigar tins in the process of change.

 

Jenny Davis_Work in progress_Cigar tin lot

 

Vintage buckle, Japanese Shibori dyed scrap. Rusty fence wires and Victorian silk buttons were purchased from Penny’s antique and vintage mixed media supplies.  Faginsdaughter

 

Jenny Davis_Work in progress_Cigar tins s

 

Old rusted door lock and fence wire with weaving made from beach- combed finds and indigo cotton string.

 

Jenny Davis_Rust Lock Weave 2s_

 

The beginnings of a textile book.

Jenny Davis_Work in progress_book s

 

Rust and indigo dyed wall piece

 

Jenny Davis_Rust Textiles_

 

Finally, another tin. Metal detector find, central Victoria, 1800’s suspender buckle, rusty wire and rust indigo dyed doily scrap. Unfortunately the beautiful buckle broke in this installation. It could be made from gold, as it was very soft.

 

Jenny Davis_Work in progress_Cigar tin 2 s

 

I may use some of these artworks in my next solo exhibition, “Wallmatter” in July