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

Working with brushes

Lately I'm busy with something completely different. I'm trying to get more and more control with my prints. I know that in this area, control is considered a bad thing but I do not see anything wrong with trying to expand the boundaries.

I work with a palette of iron at different concentrations and with brushes I'm painting the leaves as I want and in this way I can choose what effect I will get with the same leaves. 

I discover a whole new world.  

It just make it so clear even while applying the iron which leaves are very sensitive to iron and can easily become very dark and how to control it in case I don't want the dark effect or which leaves resisting the iron and if you want any effect you really need to apply strong solution.

Which part of the leaf is sensitive and which part is not.

To which part of the leaf to apply the iron to get different effects. for example, only contours, more natural effect or more graphic effect, etc...

What is also nice is that my background stay almost clean from the iron. Which mean, if I want to dye the background with madder for example, the iron will not effect the purity of the madder shade.

So yes... I'm loosing spontaneity in my work with such a technique but I know I will find the balance again in the future.

For now, I'm very much into it and it is fascinating.