Fabulous Sunprinting Workshop

We were blessed with maximum sunshine, a touch of late summer heat, 5 excited participants and lots of enthusiasm and energy. We mixed paints, gathered masks of all sorts, botanical and otherwise, and got to work!

Fortunately we had a wonderful shaded area to lay out our creations, in the garden area at Liberty Town in Fredericksburg.

With the sun and the heat, we had painted fabric drying in record time!
(about 25 minutes- it was 97 degrees!!)

Samples for discussion (created previously) were hung on a line and served as inspiration and decoration! Don't they look lovely with the light shining thru them!

Once our pieces were dry, we all gathered around for the big "Peel and Reveal". Some of the botanical bits almost fuse themselves to the fabric as the paint dries so a bit of effort is sometimes needed to reveal theimages beneath. We had such fun and squeals of delight could be heard coming from the garden. Cindy commented that with the lifting each mask, a tiny present is opened. It really is very exciting and inspiring!!!
Depending on the type of Mask used and whether it lays flat against the painted wet fabric, one can achieve all sorts of hard crisp edges and fine details or softer whispier shadows all on the same piedce of fabric. In this way, a foreground and background can be established.

Such wonderfully spontaeous creations of color and texture!!

Nicole was very anxious to work in sepia and brown tones and we all had great fun mixing up the perfect shades of brown with the Seatacolor Paints. She made a beautiful set of prints and is anxious to pursue this medium with her two young sons.

The center piece was accomplished using a pheasant feather and some weeds. In the upper right you can see a piece that was done using a metal number 5 charm that I found in a parking lot covered by a plastic mesh grid. the grid was pinned down over the metal 5. Nicole was very ahppy with the results of her efforts and really enjoyed taking a break from her ususal meia of Oil Painting. ( Nicole does amazing work in Oils and has a One Woman Show opening on Monday the 4th of October ,at Bistro Bethem, here in Fredericksburg. I will be introducing you to Nicole, my fabulous new art friend, in my next blog post, so stay tuned!!)

Bonny (center, in white ) and her mom ,Mary(on the right) thoroughly enjoyed the reveal process.

This glorious piece was Mary's favorite ! We could all understand why!!! I am hoping that this workshop will increase some interest in all of the surface design techniques available forexploration. I am hoping to introduce several more techniques to the public, here at Liberty Town before the year is out! I will be offering classes at my home studio as well!

I am constanly inspired and motivated by teh students who participate with me in these art adventures. Working on projects with other artists is such an awe inspiring experience and I am always so grateful to be allowed to teach!!