A Scorcher Out There..

So what better day than this to do some more dyeing. I got expelled from the garage so am making do with the driveway and hoping that the expected showers don't come until later.

This time I used more concentrated dyes to see if I like the results better (or even if I get results). I made up some Intense Blue, Navy, turquoise and golden yellow in about a 5% solution instead of the usual 3%. I am going to keep trying to increase the intensity to see where the salt effects stop (if they do). So far, they are going like gangbusters!! I might add that the humidity is about 80% and the temp is close to 90. At this point, they are acting like the paints do -- the colors move as parts of the piece start to dry out a bit. Of course with dyes I can't let them get completely dry. I also created some ridges as I observed that where I got the greatest movement with the last pieces was next to the edge where it hung over the table a bit. So I will create a little movement. I would like to accordion fold the whole piece and may do that the next time around.

This is the overall look of the piece while it has just been painted. Even in ten minutes the salt had caused movement.
This is a closeup which shoes the tracks beginning. I have no idea why I find this so fascinating. Now there are some more things I would like to get done with my dyeing -- effects that are easy with acrylics.

Piece number 2 for the afternoon is still using the more intense dyes (and I may ratchet it up even more tomorrow) and I used sponge style. First I sponged on golden yellow and then I sponged on some green made with the golden and intense blue and then some turqouise and then intense blue over the turquoise.




The next couple of pictures are slices of the sponged dyed pieces. The colors didn't move as fast and there are places where there is a lot of dye on these pieces. I was afraid when I didn't see movement in ten minutes like the other that all was lost. It just took a little more time!




My process is to let one piece get a bit dryer, cover with plastic and then layer another piece of fleece and then another piece. This keeps them the prerequisite moist until I am ready to rinse. Haven't yet decided whether to remove the salt before I do that. So many options and so little summer! I had to roll up the pieces in their fleece and move them inside as we are expecting rain which would be okay but didn't want the wind to blow them down the street!

I have a guest coming this weekend but looks like she will find out why her daughter in law (my youngest) is such a bad housekeeper. Who wants to clean when there is dyeing and color to be done! It's safe to eat in my kitchen and the bathrooms and sheets will be clean! QBL is coming up at the end of the month as well and I will be doing 5 days of marbling with Elin Noble! I really look forward to a week of just playing this way. I have two boxes of paints to take with me with which to experiment!