Interesting discoveries

Lately I see a lot of hybrid techniques with involved eco print with synthetics dyes.

I guess there is need to more variations of colours and more bright colours which is not easy to achieve with eco print. 

I am not judging anyone and do not pretend to tell the world what is right or wrong. I can only choose my own way and I choose to practise and investigating natural dyes and the possible combination with prints from plants. I'm writing this post to tell and show the results that could achieved with only natural ingredients. 

The last two years I practice natural dyeing in its classical approach. Experimenting with the classic dyes such as Madder, Weld, Indigo, Cochineal, Walnuts, etc... The process involved mordant with alum or iron (depending on the kind of shade I want to get) as a first step and than dye the fabric in solid colour.

After I got some confidence with the dyeing process I wanted to combine my eco print skills with more bright colour as a background. This are two of my first attempts from two years ago.

Irit Dulman

Irit Dulman

The more and more I experiment with the technique, strange  and unexpected results start to appear. Now I can look at this period of experimenting in a positive point of view but it was not easy, it's involved a lot of frustration. I fell and got up and fell again. I checked all possibilities. Printing first and than mordant and dye and the other way around. each way gave different results.

The unexpected surprises was the reactions between the mordant, dyes and the prints the prints. For example, a very bright deep blue print instead of the usual gray-blue from tannin-iron reaction. One day I got a very very unexpected result. The colour of the background in some part of the plant simply disappeared or in dyeing terms, the plants discharge the colour of the background.

Irit Dulman

Irit Dulman

As I progressed through, these results came again and again and I realise that there is something more to explore with was not in my plan in the beginning. I decided to took it to my classes even if the technique was still raw and I did not fully understand what is going on. 

It was AMAZING. So much more possibilities came up during the classes. Colours variation blending with background shade and over-dye which the leaves and discharge prints.

I want to share some of those results by chooseing those who reflect the most this new discoveries.

 Lidija Lazovic Schönig  - The Netherlands ws

Ludmila Maddalena - Uruguay ws

Annamette Andersen - Norway ws

Daniela Henriqson - Uruguay ws

 Corrie Koenen- The Netherlands ws 

 Konni Sswat  - The Netherlands ws

Elisa Suarez - Argentina ws

 Martine Lemmens  - The Netherlands ws

Annie Leynen  - The Netherlands ws

Irit Dulman

Time Flies Like an Arrow;

Fruit Flies Like Bananas;

Why? 
just like that! 

because I don't have something more cleaver to say and I want to wish you all -

AN HAPPY NEW YEAR.

A new felt coat (to warm me up in this winter that refuse to arrive), printed with Casuarina and dyed with Indigo.

The pillar of salt fantasy

I'm not sure if I ever mention this. But my work is never complete without the photo shoot. 

Many time it is gives the right meaning to the work. I love to do it with Idan. He understand me and my work perfectly and know how to get the best of it and I, love very much to change characters. To be someone else for a moment - to fantasise, to live on a different time, in different places.

For a very long time I wanted to take photos in the Dead Sea but I did not have the right work for this surrounding until recently. 

We went there last week. Such a short drive and the atmosphere is so completely different. The landscape reminiscent the story of creation in Genesis. My head and my imagination immediately begin to work and the story of Genesis and also the story of lot's wife who looked back and turned to salt was playing in my head like a music.

And this is what we created. With water, wool, plants, fire, camera and the beautiful surrounding of one of the wonders in the world - The Dead Sea.

Hope you enjoy it. Take a moment and fantasise yourself. Your day can be completely different :)

Natural Dyeing and Botanical Prints

A few weeks ago Vilte and me was visited in Amsterdam. We took a private Class with Leentje Van Hengel. Our goal was to deep our knowledge about mordants and classical natural dyes like Madder, Weld and Indigo. We learned a lot during this 3 days class.

When I came back home I started to dye samples and to practice what I have learned

but simultaneously I'm trying to combine what I learned with my work.

From the beginning I knew it could be a problem. a conflict between the two techniques.

Botanical Prints needs metals like iron or copper to be able to get bold print or images with depth but those metals will dull the bright shades of madder or other dye plants. Madder with iron will easily become brown.

On the other hand, to achieve deep red from madder for example needs mordant such as Alum and that will make many of the print plant materials such as eucalyptus or rose leaves yellow.

There must be a solution and I began a research now. So far, I had some successes but also some failures. Will see how and where it will takes me.

Ashes and Dust

One day, when the station was a sleep, Idan and I sneaked in.

And if you're going ... Where are you going?

Eternity is only ashes and dust

Natural Handwriting

When I started printing leaves I wasn't sure whether it is possible to create something personal with this technique. Time passed and the answer came. 

I see the works of other artists and each has its own special something. 

what is interesting me now the most is the combination of felted pieces with different fibers printing with leaves so not only the prints and dyeing is hand made but also the materials which be printed is a creation for itself. The different fibers take the dye differently and the results are interesting and surprising.

I decided to felt a book. It is one piece seamless felt book and on each page I created different texture with different fibers.

I already felted and printed 3 books but I'm not pleased from the result yet and

I continue to work on it. 

Here's just a glimpse of the process and idea. Hope very soon I will have the final 

work to show.

And sorry about the pictures. They was taking not in best condition.

If you interested in creating such a book, I will teach it next spring in the Netherlands

FELTFULL