Winter experiments for natural dyes

In the past, I have not taken the winter as a time to collect items to make natural dyes. Perhaps it is the unnaturally warm winter we are having that has inspired me, but I have found myself looking around and wondering if I could extract dyes from what I am seeing. I have carried out two experiments so far.

lichen on fallen twig

So, here is some lichen. This is available in profusion around Hanckley Common, where I frequently walk the dogs. It particularly likes dead wood but also seems to grow on living trees. Now I know that using lichen for dyeing is not encouraged these days because the plants are slow growing and increasingly struggle because of air pollution and the like. At Hankley, as I said, there is masses growing and it is more abundant this year then I remember it being for many years. So, I have taken a bag full to see if it will make a dye.

I prepared the dye bath by bringing the lichen to the boil slowly in plenty of water.  I simmered this mix for about an hour and then left to stand, for a week. After that I drained off the liquid through a sieve, squeezing the fibres to extract as much liquid as I could.  Into the strained liquid I put some fine wool which had been wetted out and soaked in a vinegar mordent. This was then brought to a simmer just below a boil for about an hour. The outcome was a pleasant, soft sludge green. I think this would be worth repeating.

Birch bark from fallen tree

The other material I collected from Hankley was bark from fallen birch trees. This too was brought to the boil in plenty of water and then left for a week. The resulting liquid was drained off and used as a dye without mordent, using the same kind of wool as I used for the lichen. The product is a soft yellow. It is such a gentle colour it scarcely looks dyed. I can think of some uses for this but am not sure that it was worth the effort.

Dyes yarn: Birch bark is soft cream and lichen is green

However, I have read more and think I used the wrong birch bark. I think I should have used the thin, papery bark that peels by itself from certain Silver Birches. There is a small group of Silver Birches in Farnham Park. In the high wind last week some of the peeling bark was blown off and I collected it from around the trees. This is now soaking for a week and I will see what colour I can extract. I am hopeful for pinks. More will follow here.

papery bark from Silver Birch trees soaking in hope of making dye

There are still places left for the Natural Dyeing day on 9th and 10th February. Come along and work some of this magic for yourself.

Blue Monday - and how to beat it!

Monday 21st January is, according to some, Blue Monday – the day in the year when most people in this country will be feeling depressed about work. The internet is full of it. Why should we be most depressed now? No idea. But you do not need to be one of the sufferers. The way out is to have something non-digital and non-work related to do or to look forward to.

Yarns dyed at Introduction to Act

More and more, crafts are offering this alternative, a hands on, focused practice that can help with relaxation and concentration. I cannot offer you anything today but have a look at the workshops I have available and see if you can find something there that pricks your imagination.

I only offer two places per workshop to ensure maximum face to face teaching and hands on experience. With all “introduction” workshops, you will also go home with the tools to continue your experience, so they are spring boards not a one-off experience.

If there is a workshop you want to do but it is being offered at a time you cannot make, please do contact me to see if we can arrange another time that suits you.

Also, until the end of January, if two workshop places are booked at the same time, I will return 10% off each fee to you. So, have a look, book a place and break out of Blue Monday for good.

Inundation - recent work

Inundation - 2018

I have just collected the latest piece from Fine Framing – “Inundation”. This piece was inspired by bog oak. But let me explain.

Christening Chest by Andrew Poder made of Bog Oak

Last year I commissioned a wonderful box maker called Andrew Poder to make a small box, suitable to take drawing materials, for my brother, who is an artist and lover of beautiful and practical things. Poder is a cabinet maker by training who has turned his skills to making the most incredible wooden boxes. He uses a wide variety of interesting woods, one of which is bog oak.

Bog oak is dug up from the East Anglian fens and is something like 6000 years old.  When the trees fell the ground was boggy and this has preserved the wood. It is now coming to the surface either because it is ploughed up or the fens are drying (see more on the Great Fen website ) . Poder tells me that the trees grew straighter and taller than modern oaks and must have been growing close together as there are few low branches. Once dug up the trees are dried slowly over two years and can then be used for carpentry or joinery. The wood is very dense, fine grained and a dark, dark brown.

Strips of bog oak bark before polishing

Poder often puts decorative material on the inside of his box lids. I asked him if he would put some material I had woven into my brother’s box and he agreed to this. So I set about creating this strip (just 10 inches by 2 inches) of material which was to be a response to the bog oak. Poder kindly gave me some off cuts from the bog oak to use as references. It took longer than I anticipated and ”Inundation” is just a small sample of the final piece, which is now in Richard’s box. I have not taken any pictures of the finished box but will ask Richard if he can send me some.

When I started to develop my work I was under the mistaken impression that the oak tree had fallen and been inundated with water by the tsunami that drown Doggerland and created the breach between the UK and the continent. I have since found out that happened about 8000 years ago, but it is part of the story I was looking at for my piece!

“Inundation” is woven in cotton, linen, silk, paper yarn and the dark strands are home spun Shetland wool. The weave structure is the Theo Moreman technique, so the pattern floats on the surface of the background cloth. It has been framed by Fine Framing so that the piece is held in suspension just off the back of the picture, in an inch-deep frame. It has museum quality glass which gives a perfect view, with little or no reflection. The overall picture is 12 inches wide and 10 ¾ inches high.

Trying Something Diifferent

I was lucky enough to receive the gift of “an Experience” recently and used this to have a taster session gliding. I have never been in a glider in my life. I have experienced a short flight in a two-seater plane, which I remember as being very exhilarating, and it was based on that memory that I thought that this would be a fun thing to do.

In many ways this makes no sense at all. I really hate heights. I have to brace myself even to get up the ladder into the loft. Going on the London Eye many years ago was a huge challenge. I had to sit in the middle of the pod and resolutely look at the horizon, while my sons hooted with laughter and jumped up and down on the transparent floors. So why on earth did I think that gliding would be good and enjoyable? Well, there is a weird logic to it. A glider is made to fly. It wants to fly, and this makes it a safe place to be up in.

So, I was very excited about my flight. Given the time of year, it was not easy to get a day when flying could take place. Bookings were postponed twice due to adverse weather;  gales and rain are not conducive. But the third time proved lucky. A mild day, sunny periods and just overcast between and light winds, so off I went for my appointment at Lasham.

 Lasham Gliding Society is one of the oldest and largest gliding clubs in the country and is conveniently close to my home. It has a welcoming club house, which is where you go to sign in and meet your instructor. I was taken up by Lee, and wonderfully enthusiastic young man who started gliding at 14 and earns his living as a commercial pilot but would rather be gliding and seems to use all his free time doing so.

Lee took me out to the run way in a buggy. He explained on the way that we would be in a two seater glider and would be towed into the air by a small plane, as this made for a gentler launch than the alternative winch (where the glider is hooked by a very long cable to a large winch which is pulled in so quickly that the glider gets airborne, at rather a steep angle).

The glider looked quite small, well it is. Lee got me strapped into a very compact parachute, the harness of which was integral to the seat straps in the glider. To get in you just clamber over the side and slip into the confines of the cockpit. I had the front seat and Lee had the one behind. There were controls with both seats, and I was taken through what the instruments and controls ahead of me to show what they  do, event though Lee would be firmly in control of this flight. All explained and strapped in, we were ready for off.

The take off was remarkably quick. We were attached, by a very long line, to a small yellow plane. Off it went on a signal from Lee and within seconds I could feel the glider lifting off the ground, before event the tug plane had taken off. We were towed to 2000 meters and then with a loud clunk the tow line was released, the tug plane pealed away to the side and the glider was serenely flying ahead, in beautiful quiet.

The feel of flying was wonderful. If you have sailed in a large ferry or similar passenger ship and also in a small dingy, you will know how different the experience of being on the water is between these two. Well, gliding was rather like being in a small dingy in the air. You feel the element through with you are travelling and the glider is a quick and responsive vessel riding on it, through it. After Lee took us through some basic turns and manoeuvres, he gave me a turn at the controls. Totally thrilling. The glider responded to the slightest touch.

Looking towards the Solent

The view from the cock pit was beautiful. To the south the sun was catching the Solent, making it a bright shining strip, with the Isle of Wight showing as a grey mass behind. Basingstoke, with it towers and buildings catching the rays, stood out to the West of us, but the rest looked largely agricultural, with the occasionally solar panel field interspersed between the winter greens and brown. There are also a remarkable amount of wooded areas, which I had never appreciated from the ground.

All too soon the flight had to end. Lee brought us round to line up with the airfield and then down we went to land on the grass. I thought that would be alarming but as with the rest of the flight it was not. Then it was a matter of getting out, helping to push the glider to her next take off place and back to the club house for a very welcome cup of tea. I can’t thank Lee, or Jim who gave me the experience, enough for a wonderful time.

Lasham Airfield

So why am I writing about this on my l art website? Well, it is partly to encourage everyone to try something different. It doesn’t have to be gliding of course. Doing something outside of your comfort zone is an invigorating experience. I will keep with me the thrill of that flight, how it felt, and also the different perspective it gave me on the world. We live in a three-dimensional world, but you see these dimensions, feel them, differently when flying; they somehow feel more three dimensional than when you are walking along. As one of my interests in my work is exploring layers and textures, this experience can only add to what I do. Quite how yet is to be explored. I hope to bring the explorations to this blog in the future.

Fiery Fun with Parsonage Farm

I spent two very enjoyable days recently at Parsonage Farm Nursery and Infants School, working with the children and staff from Year 2. They have been studying The Great Fire of London. As with all infant schools, the staff have used this topic to encompass a broad spectrum of work, and included in this was some time for each year 2 child to weave a piece inspired by the great fire.

The weaving was done on these mini looms. They are proper looms with a ridged heddle, which is the mechanism that moves the warp threads up and down, which is what makes a loom easy to weave on.

Each child started from a prepared warp. They received very basic instruction on how to weave with the loom. being young and bright this was something that they picked up quickly and without fear or trepidation, which some adults feel when faced with something new and different.

The wonderful staff and helpers had collected coloured plastic bags which had been cut into strips and also ribbons in appropriate fiery colours. I took along some yarns to add to what was available to use. Each child had a free choice in what was used in their weave, so each piece turned out differently.

It is always a joy working with young children. They are naturally curious and inventive. Weaving works with children of all abilities. Some needed a bit more help then others but with this school each child was able to produce exciting work and to enjoy the creation. They all enjoyed their weaving and I hope that I will be able to visit them again.

Private View at Clyde & Co on 6th December 2018

Private View of Guildford Arts Exhibition at Clyde & Co on December 6th between 6pm and 8pm

detail from Sardinia 4, one of the pieces I have on display at the Guildford Arts Exhibition

The Private View for the Guildford Arts Exhibition at Clyde & Co will be on 6th December between 6pm and 8pm. I am very excited to be part of this interesting exhibition and if you would like to have an invitation to the private view please contact me as soon as possible by clicking here. The private views at Clyde & Co are always worth attending. Not only do you have free access to all the exhibition work but there will be excellent refreshments!

The work I have on display comes from both my TMM series and the Aphrodite’s Girdle series.

Other artists exhibiting are:

Brad Kenny

David Dragon

Jim Tucker

Liz Seward

Mai Osawa

Marilyn Bailey

Natasha Snell

Neil Brown

Felting fun

making layers of tops

The felt balls are made by layering wool tops and then, after making them damp, carefully rolling them between your hands to gradually form a ball. As the ball forms, more water is added and more pressure, rolling around and around until a neat, hard ball is formed.

Finished ball

Comments from those taking part:

“Really lovely way to spend a few hours learning felting and chatting to new people. Jo is generous, kind and a brilliant teacher” - ML

“Excellent workshop. Jo is a great tutor” SM

There are still places on similar workshops on Friday 23rd November and Monday 27th November. For more details click here

We had great fun making felt balls for garlands today.

This was a small group, and it was very relaxed, with friendly chat throughout.

Each person was able to create her unique felt balls, starting from a choice of wool tops.

starting to form the ball

When completed the balls are threaded onto gold or silver thread, using a needle. Simple but effective.

Threading up the balls to form the garland

a unique garland

Colourful outcomes from Natural Dyeing Day

Dying with natural dyes is always a bit of an adventure and unless you are very experienced, the outcomes cannot always be predicted. So I was thrilled a the beauty of the colours we created at the natural dye workshop on 15th September.

During the day we explored various dyes using double knit Blue Face Leicester yarn made by West Yorkshire Spinners.

We began the day using dyes made from Onion Skins and Walnut husks. These had been pre-prepared in advance of the workshop as there would not have been sufficient time for them to be made and used on the day. Neither dye needs a mordent, which is a chemical that is used to treat the yarn to make the dye colour fast.

onion skin dye top and walnut dye bottom

We made dye baths on the day using a variety of different natural materials, including weld, safflower, cochineal and logwood. These were simmered gently for about an hour each. Quite a challenge to find space on the cooker for them all!

After lunch we introduced the yarns to the dyes produced during the morning and another long simmering was allowed to give the dye time to colour the yarns.

yarn and wool tops in the safflower dye bath

Towards the end of dyeing we added an iron mordent to the cochineal dye baths. Iron with darken the colours produced.

Three colours produced by cochineal dye bath: top mordent with alum and cream of tartar, bottom left mordent with tin and right no pre-mordent but iron added to dye bath at end

It was a hugely enjoyable day. We produced wonderful colours, learned a lot and had fun doing so. Thank you to Nancy for taking part.

Explore the possibilities of acid dyes

Shetland wool shawl hand dyed with acid dyes and hand woven by Jo Aylwin

Have fun day exploring the possibilities of acid dyes with me on 29th September..

The name acid dyes can be very off putting - it sounds toxic and unpleasant! Acid dyes are chemical dyes which use acid, normally normal vinegar, to fix them. They are prepared in chemical works and when used correctly there is no chemical waste when using them, so in many ways they are more environmentally friendly for the small scale dyer than natural dyes, for which you have to use chemical mordents and there is waste to dispose of.

Acid dyes are used for protein fibres, such as wool, silk, cashmere, feathers and fur. They are hot water dyes and care has to be taken when using them not to damage the fibre being coloured by getting them too hot or stirring them too vigorously.

Seat cover made on commission by Jo Aylwin with the inspirational throw provided by client

Acid dyes are very flexible. You can mix very precise colours which can be reproduced again and again. This is very useful if you have a specific project you want to create. The picture above show a seat cover I created for a friend. She wanted it to go with a throw she was particularly fond of, which is shown in the picture. The colours I created for the seat cover were drawn from those on the throw and dyed specifically for this project.

On the 29th you will have a chance to explore the versatility of acid dyes. We will be dying all the colours shown in the shawl above. That will be 36 colours! You will take away the 36 samples as well as an Acid Dye Kit which will have everything in that you need to continue your dying experiments.

It will be a fun and action packed day, and a light vegetarian lunch is included.

Wonderful day Indigo Dyeing

We had a gloriously sunny day on Saturday 1st September for the Introduction to Indigo Dyeing. As the indigo vats are kept outside, this made for a much more enjoyable day.

Indigo is one of the oldest dyes known. It has been used for millennia, across the world. The blue dye is extracted from several different plants, depending on where you are. In the UK woad was the favoured source for blue, which is not as strong as indigo and cannot produce deep blues on its own. Indigo remains a dominant dye even today and is most commonly known as the colour for jeans. These days there are both synthetic and natural forms of indigo available to home dyers.

On Saturday we began the day making a natural indigo dye bath. Starting from an indigo powder, this is a protracted process of mixing and waiting. The students for the day followed the preparation through themselves, so that they got a feel for the whole of the process. The dye vat which was begun at 10.30 was ready for use at 3pm.

an active indigo dye vat

Fortunately, another dye vat, this time of synthetic indigo, had been prepared in advance and was ready for use by the group from when they arrived. Having both a synthetic and natural dye baths available allowed the group to compare and contrast the two preparations.

The group were given a brief introduction to tie dye and simple shibori techniques. Shibori is the Japanese art of tie dye and, as with most things Japanese, is both precise and aesthetically pleasing. More informal tie dye and shibori both rely on creating areas of resist, which allow dye to only penetrate certain areas of the cloth being processed. Both are particularly suitable for use with indigo, which is a quick, cold water dye.

getting ready to dye

 clamping and sewing

and tyeing

During the morning session, between progressing the making of the indigo dye bath, the group experimented with various techniques of tying, mostly using cotton cloth. They then introduced their experiments to the dye bath, which is done by gently immersing the pieces. The dye bath itself is oxygen free and is green. Great effort must be taken to keep the bath as oxygen free as possible. The blue colour only emerges as the piece is withdrawn from the bath, then green, and oxidizes with exposure to the air, as a result of which the green turns to blue in a magical transformation.

slowly into the vat

coming out from the vat

unwrapped and drying

After the lunch break, when we had lunch outside on the terrace, the group returned to their tying. Each had a silk scarf as part of the day’s package, which they were free to either dye during the day or to take home with them to dye themselves after they made up their own dye baths using the kits provided. All of this group’s members decided to dye their scarves during the afternoon and they all produces spectacular and beautiful results.

Silk scarves and cotton bag

All in all it was a  very successful and enjoyable day. Each group member took away her own synthetic indigo dye kit, a beautiful silk scarf and the other samples they had produced.

More workshops - Dyeing in September and Weaving in October

I will  be running a series of day long dyeing workshops in September, on Indigo (1st). Natural Dyes (15th) and Dyeing with Acid Dyes (29th). At each one you will be introduced to the different dyes and how they are used. There will be a light lunch and all materials provided. 

Then in October, as part of Farnham Craft Month, I will be running a series of weaving workshops for both beginners and intermediate weavers.

If you book for more than one workshop over these two months you will get 10% off the second or subsequent fee. Spaces are limited to give maximum tuition time so book early to avoid dissappointment

Guildford Arts @ Clyde & Co

I am very excited as I have been asked to exhibit at the Guildford Arts show at Clyde & Co in November. More news will follow, so watch this space

More Weaving workshops available

New Weaving Workshops  available in June, July, August, September and October 2018.

Want to learn to weave?

Try Introduction to Weaving

There will be "Introduction to Weaving" workshops on 25th June, 10th October , 24th October and 29th October.

These are 2 hour workshops in which you will work on a mini loom and learn the basics of weaving on a loom. All materials provided and you also get a mini loom to take home so that you can continue weaving.

Times:

• 25th June - 10am - 12 noon
• 10th October - 2pm - 4pm
• 24th October - 7pm - 9pm
• 29th October - 10am - 12 noon

£60 per person.

Introduction to Four Shaft Table Loom

For those who want to try weaving on a table loom for the first time or just want to get to know the basics of weaving on one, there will be a weekend course on 6th and 7th October. 

This two day course will introduce you to a four shaft table loom, making a warp, putting the warp on and weaving the warp you have put on.

Loom and materials provided at workshop.

Workshops 10 am - 4 pm each day. Light vegetarian lunch included each day.

£140 per person for the two days.

Only three places available so early booking advised. 

Double Cloth workshop

For those with some weaving experience, there will be a two  day workshop looking at Double Cloth on 13th and 14th  October.

You will explore double cloth weave on a four shaft table loom. You will work on prepared warp.

Looms and materials provided at workshop. 

Workshops 10 am - 4 pm each day. A light vegetarian lunch will be provided both days.

£140 per person

Only three places are available so early booking is recommended.

A Weekend of Twills

For those with some experience of weaving, come and have a weekend exploring twill weaves on  20th and 21st October.

Twill weave is often used to produce materials that have drape or to provide a variety of patterns.

You will work on a prepared warp on a four shaft table loom.

Looms and materials provided at workshop. 

Workshops 10 am - 4 pm each day. A light vegetarian lunch will be provided both days.

£140 per person

Only three places are available so early booking is recommended.

Parsonage Farm School work at the National Gallery

Work of the Parsonage Farm School on show at the National Gallery

I am imensly proud of the children and staff of Parsonage Farm School.
 

Their wonderful work is on exhibition at the National Gallery as part of the Take One Picture exhibition which is on until 12th August. I urge everyone who can to go and visit it to see what can be done by inspired kids.

I am very luck to have been associated with this bigger project and thank the school for involving me.

Surrey Artist of the Year Exhibition

I am delighted to say that my work is to be included in the Surrey Artist of the Year Competition 2017 at The New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham GU9 7PS.

The Exhibition is open to the public 30th September to 11th November and
the gallery invites members of the public to come and vote for their favourite artist.

This is the first time I have been on the shortlist for Surrey Artist of the Year and it is very exciting. I do hope that you will be able to come to the exhibition while it is running. Please do pass on this invitation to anyone you think may be interested.

The Surrey Artist of the Year competition is a partnership between the New Ashgate and the Surrey Artists Open Studios to celebrate the wealth of creative talent in Surrey. Starting in 2009; this aspirational exhibition offers a collective of local quality arts and craft as voted for by the public during open studio visits. The top scoring artists come together for a programme of events. There is a wide variety of artworks on show, all offering different materials and techniques: ceramics, glass, jewellery, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and woodwork.

The shortlisted artists are Adam Aaronson, Jo Aylwin, Naomi Beevers, Mary Branson, Alex Freeman, Emma Godden, Nikki Hearnshaw, Christine Hopkins, Su Jameson, Jule Mallett, Katie Netley, Alison Orchard and Ali Tomlin.

Again, during the exhibition, members of the public are encouraged to vote for an artist; and the artist with the most votes from public and judging panel, is named Surrey Artist of the Year 2017. The winner receives a bursary of £1,000 and a solo show.

The competition is organised in partnership with the Surrey Open Studios. It is supported by the Patricia Baines Trust. The Surrey Life magazine, which has a monthly section dedicated to the local art scene, is the official media partner of the competition.

The season includes workshops for adults and artists - please contact New Ashgate Gallery  for information.

Parsonage Farm School - Take One Picture

The work of Parsonage Farm School is now on show at the National Gallery "Take One Picture" exhibition, which is on until August

natural dyed yarns

Work by the children of Parsonage Farm School at the National Gallery.

Each hanging was produced by a different year group. Each year had a four shaft table loom in their classroom for two days and childern from the class wove a few lines each, assisted by classroom assistants and me. All the yarns were dyed with natural dyes in advance, with colours inspired by the picture Penolope and the Suitors.

RHS Wisley Gardens Arts Fest

I will be at Arts Fest, at Wisley RHA Gardens, on 15th and 16th July.

This promises to be a really fun weekend.

For the normal garden entry price you can not only see the stunning RHA gardens in all their summer glory but also be entertained by a variety of entertainers and artists.

I will be there exhibiting some of my work in the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen area. The Surrey Guild is a grouping of contemporary craftsmen. If you cannot get to see those of us who are at Wisley you may want to get along to our shop just outside Godalming. See our website for more details.

Just part of the beautiful gardens at Wisley, open as part of Arts Fest

Introduction to Weaving - an alternative present

I am running some short courses introducing participants to weaving on a small hand loom. The courses are low key, very enjoyable and in small groups (maximum 6 people). If you know someone who likes to try something new this may be for them - or get someone to give you this as a gift!