lake 5 (kind of)

on cotton, 40 x 100cm

This was going to be a larger version of the lake series.. then, I made a mistake!

My new place is heated with a wood stove.  I discovered that it's perfect to dry the batiks quickly after a dye bath to dry them over the stove.  Except that this time I forgot all about it, and an hour later when I remembered, the heat had melted the wax in the middle into a spreading oval.  (its white because I had decided to bleach out the previous dyes).. so, since I didn't want to give up on the work I'd already put in, I decided to use it as part of the final image, and the rest happened around the white oval.

My 'abstract' version of the lake :)

The nice thing about having a wood stove (other than the warmth and the 'homely' wood smell); is that I no longer have to wonder about whether wax imbibed paper can be recycled.  It's an ideal fire starter!!

lake 4

batikon cotton, 47 x 39cm

lake 3

on cotton, 47 x 39cm

Am trying to push this reflection on water idea as far as I can..
This is a debate I'm having with myself : at what point does it stop being batik?

The only wax used in this was the white reflection lines on the water.  After that it was a series of painting on with the dyes.  The wax line allowed me to work on the lower half 'wet'; and the upper sky dry.

lake 2

on cotton 47 x 39cm

Am still trying to 'get' it..

water flows

on cotton, 37 x 24cm
still in the 'water' inspiration

lake 1

went to visit a lake nearby, and was absolutely enamoured with the water..
on cotton - 35 x 24cm

warrior

trial with a warrior series
on cotton - 40 x 55cm

Summer news

It's been an interesting summer to say the least.
I have finally done (more or less on the spur of a summer inspirational moment) what I've been dreaming about for a few years, and moved out of Paris.
I've found a small studio to work, and a place to live in the hills towards the south of France.  I finally get to wake up to hills and green trees.  It's meant leaving the security of a paying job, but at some point I did have to choose....

...and there wasn't much debate!

Chatillon Arts et Vigne 2012

My second time participating at the art festival at Chatillon en Diois.
Lovely as always! This time I shared a gallery space in the main street of the medieval village with 3 other artists.  One of them, Tanguy, is actually a painter from whom I bought a painting about 5 years ago (I bought another one this year too);  and two other artists, Germaine and Evelyne.
http://www.germaine-zurdo.com/
http://evelynebatier-geneve.blogspot.fr/
http://tangworks.blogspot.fr/

I also spent 2 days holding batik workshops.  The organisers provided the art classroom in the school and I had around 7 participants each day.  A big first for me.. I was surprised by how well it went actually.

rooster

70x70cm, batik on cardboard
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In continuity from the cardboard furniture, I decided to make another batik on cardboard. (in the same chinese-y theme).

It's interesting to work with cardboard; it soaks dye like cloth, but since there is no crackling of the wax, the variations in texture come from how well (or not) the hot wax has sealed the colour.
Then ofcourse, there's the factor of trying to keep it from curling in between each dye layer as it dries.  I finally settled on keeping it weighted down with layers of books while it dried - makes for much longer drying pauses.

I'll mount it on mdf board, glued down flat, then seal it with glossy varnish.