The Traveling Yard - A fabric print exchange: Interest and Ideas

[Stynky Tudor]

Between Duchess's thread here and conversations with Mary Diamond & Willaim Brand, I think we need to do a group block print on canvas project...

Now that I'm obsessed by the topic, I ordered some Ornamental art design books from Dover.  

[Mary Diamond]

I’m in!

[Duchess]

4 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

Between Duchess's thread here and conversations with Mary Diamond & Willaim Brand, I think we need to do a group block print on canvas project...

Now that I'm obsessed by the topic, I ordered some Ornamental art design books from Dover.  

Tell me more!

 

I could see doing a couple of different options:

• A traveling yard of canvas that each participant would add a print to using fabric inks.
• A submission of carved blocks for one person to print.
• We could maybe do a mini virtual workshop sort of thing using speedy carve or rubber erasers to create blocks.
• A mini print exchange
• A block printed canvas patch exchange (where my old school punks at?)

I have ideas!

[Stynky Tudor]

1 hour ago, Duchess said:

I could see doing a couple of different options:

• A traveling yard of canvas that each participant would add a print to using fabric inks.
• A submission of carved blocks for one person to print.
• We could maybe do a mini virtual workshop sort of thing using speedy carve or rubber erasers to create blocks.
• A mini print exchange
• A block printed canvas patch exchange (where my old school punks at?)

I love all these options.

The "Traveling Yard(s)", mail out a square yard of canvas to everyone involved, they place their stamp and send it on. At the end everyone would end up with a yard of canvas all stamped up!

The "Mini Print Exchange" or the "Block Print Patch Exchange" are all great ideas too.

[Stynky Tudor]

Not that I propose anything as intricate or complicated, at least not for our first project, but here's some period examples.

I don't have a date or details for this one, their site is down for maintenance.

1850 Europe Block Print Vest

17th c French Block Print Fabric

16th c Spanish Block Print Silk Damask

15th - 16th c Egyptian Block Print Fabric

15th -16th c Spanish Block Print Line

16th c Flemish Block Print Fabric

16th c Italian Renaissance 16thc Block Print Fabric

12th -13th c NW Europe Gold Ink Taffeta

Late 16th c Spanish Block Print Fabric

[Mary Diamond]

Interesting!

If each person were to make a unique block print design, but with a border consistent across all the blocks, we could tile them together into a larger pattern.

[Stynky Tudor]

1 hour ago, Mary Diamond said:

If each person were to make a unique block print design, but with a border consistent across all the blocks, we could tile them together into a larger pattern.

Originally I thought it would be cool to have a square of material, randomly stamped by each artist. But having everyone create a print block within a unifying boarder pattern - that's even better!

 

[Mary Diamond]

2 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

Originally I thought it would be cool to have a square of material, randomly stamped by each artist. But having everyone create a print block within a unifying boarder pattern - that's even better!

 

😄 Boarding patterns! I can just see a pirate captain holding up a football diagram board now, to a rapt audience of pirates… 😄

[Duchess]

For a first go round I'd suggest just your original thought, a square of material that each person could print on. I could likely source some cotton blanks to use, similar to the one here. I would recommend that we keep the number small, say 5-10 participants for the first go round. Send all the squares together along with some fabric ink. Just given the nature of printing it is easier to print all at a time. And we'd want to make sure that the finished product is not going to wash away without forcing everyone to buy ink. I can work on putting this together as event later this summer if you like. Curate some tutorials for different ways to make a block and work up some directions on size etc. What do you think Stynky?

[Stynky Tudor]

2 hours ago, Duchess said:

What do you think Stynky?

Yes.

[Mary Diamond]

2 hours ago, Duchess said:

For a first go round I'd suggest just your original thought, a square of material that each person could print on. I could likely source some cotton blanks to use, similar to the one here. I would recommend that we keep the number small, say 5-10 participants for the first go round. Send all the squares together along with some fabric ink. Just given the nature of printing it is easier to print all at a time. And we'd want to make sure that the finished product is not going to wash away without forcing everyone to buy ink. I can work on putting this together as event later this summer if you like. Curate some tutorials for different ways to make a block and work up some directions on size etc. What do you think Stynky?

Oh my word, 😂🤣 that print!

[Stynky Tudor]

2 hours ago, Duchess said:

For a first go round I'd suggest just your original thought, a square of material that each person could print on. I could likely source some cotton blanks to use, similar to the one here. I would recommend that we keep the number small, say 5-10 participants for the first go round. Send all the squares together along with some fabric ink. Just given the nature of printing it is easier to print all at a time. And we'd want to make sure that the finished product is not going to wash away without forcing everyone to buy ink. I can work on putting this together as event later this summer if you like. Curate some tutorials for different ways to make a block and work up some directions on size etc...

I've been spending way too much at the local thrift stores lately and have a source for (thick) cotton panels - just let me know what size I should make them... I assume that will depend on stamp/block print size and number of times to be printed. In the end I think it would be cool to frame and hang on the wall. 

I agree on the number of participants. Currently there's only seems to be the 3 of us, Duchess, Mary D & meself, with a possible 4th, William. And it makes complete sense for individuals to make all of their prints in one go, for consistency and quality.

And you are most welcome to create a block print lesson plan/tutorial!

[Stynky Tudor]

So what elements are going into our boarder(s)? 

[Duchess]

A thread to collect ideas for the Traveling Yard -  A Pyracy Print Exchange project.

For right now: If you're interested in participating, chime in here. If you have ideas, share those too!

[Stynky Tudor]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:30 AM, Stynky Tudor said:

...I ordered some Ornamental art design books from Dover.

Buying books blind over the internet/off Amazon - not the best idea. At least not for visual media. Looks like it's time to visit my local/physical book store.

[Duchess]

2 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

Buying books blind over the internet/off Amazon - not the best idea. At least not for visual media. Looks like it's time to visit my local/physical book store.

Oh no! I stumbled across a folder of Pennsylvania Dutch designs at an antique store last summer, so you might try hitting up antique stores with art books.

[Stynky Tudor]

28 minutes ago, Duchess said:

...you might try hitting up antique stores with art books.

Good idea - I'll give that a try.

[Duchess]

On 3/6/2023 at 6:46 PM, Mary Diamond said:

Oh my word, 😂🤣 that print!

I've worn it to work a few times. The results have been...interesting...😁

[madPete]

You prolly dont want me involved LOL...

[Stynky Tudor]

1 hour ago, madPete said:

You prolly dont want me involved

No actually, right now the more the merrier!...I think.

As for kinds/types of content, that's up to Duchess. But I think this first round is more about fun and becoming familiar with the tools and learning the process.

[madPete]

My youngest son bought some tools and I guess its a rubber block that you can carve? I'd have to get ambitious again.

[Mary Diamond]

4 hours ago, Duchess said:

I've worn it to work a few times. The results have been...interesting...😁

😄

[Mary Diamond]

3 hours ago, madPete said:

You prolly dont want me involved LOL...

I would love to see what you come up with! My creativity tends to be far more straightforward…

[Stynky Tudor]

6 hours ago, madPete said:

OMG, it would be hilarious to make a period style city scape /day in the life type scene using these characters in block print.

[Duchess]

3 hours ago, madPete said:

My youngest son bought some tools and I guess its a rubber block that you can carve? I'd have to get ambitious again.

There's a bunch of different things you can do! A not exhaustive list of things to use:

• Piece of wood lumber (pros: small pieces are often cast offs and easy to find, con: grain can be a pain work with, just do all your carving with the grain, absorbs ink)
• Linoelum block (pros durable, can be carved in any direction, consistent. cons: can be expensive, might want a way to hold it while carving, set size unless you want to saw)
• unmounted linoelum (pros, easy to cut to size, straightforward carving. cons: not rigid, easy to accidentally cut through, still kinda expensive)
• rubber blocks for printing, ie Speedy carve (pros: pink is super easy to carve, easy to cut to size cons: kinda expensive, might be hard to source, not long term durable)
• pink eraser blocks (pros:cheap, easy to find, easy to carve. Cons: small size, hard to hold while carving)
• potatoes (Pros: easy to care, easy to find, cheap. cons: kinda wet and starchy. rots)
• 3D printing (Pros: I dunno? Fun to combine lots of skills, no hand strength needed Cons: expensive, time consuming, high learning curve)

Other things that aren't exactly carving or block printing that you could do:

• Mono printing, basically painting with the ink and then making one print of that
• Found objects, finding material with interesting texture/relief and printing with those this is really easy to do with leaves