Carol R. Eaton Designs

Carol R. Eaton Designs

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Sunday, August 23, 2015

Weekend Walk = Leaf Printing

While taking an early morning walk with a friend we came upon an unknown weed with massive leaves! I couldn't believe it - they were as large as tropical plants! 
If you recognize the plant please let me know. 
I should have put my hand next to a leaf to give you perspective of it's size! Maybe you can tell by how dwarfed the clothespins look! 

Using thickened dyes I painted the underside of the leaf. The veins of the leaf are large and distinctive so I was hoping for some strong definition in the print. 

Next I placed the leaf on the fabric dye-side down. Using a Brayer I rolled the topside of the leaf to ensure the print would be clear. 

The print is fairly clear and the definition of the veins is good. 

I repeated the process until the fabric was filled up!  

You can see the texture more clearly here. It reminds me of reptile skin!  

Here are today's results. The last piece is an experiment in textures. I finished up the thickened dye by applying multiple layers of dye across the fabric surface. Once it's washed out I hope it still looks like the texture of grasses. 

7 comments:

  1. Royal paulownia, Paulownia tomentosa

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  2. I have that same plant and it is so perfect for printing! I've printed tons of them but have I done anything with the prints? No. Shame.

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    1. I will grab another handful the next time I walk that path! Ah yes... after the fun of printing now what! I think the fabric could stand alone with a little thread painting.... maybe some transparent paint across the surface? I'd love to see what you do with yours - whenever the time is right!

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  3. Well done ... these are great prints!

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  4. Just a FYI note. There is a plant you might want to know about so you can avoid it - Giant Hogweed. The leaves look like they would be gorgeous to print with BUT touching the plant can cause serious very skin reactions and if it gets in the eyes it can cause blindness. Here's a link: Be sure you know what you're picking. Worrying about all of you ;-)

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