Last Saturday I attended a fun and fascinating workshop given by printmaker and mixed media artist Radha Chandrashekaran. She taught three separate techniques: acrylic gel image transfers, kalamkari fabric painting, and takuhon stone rubbing.
Kalamkari is the ancient art of decorating cloth using a kalam (pen) to draw patterns; the tradition dates back to at least 3,000 B.C.E. Above, Radha demonstrates how to make the kalam by winding woolen cloth around a bamboo stick, then wrapping the cloth in yarn or thread.
A piece of kalamkari- decorated cloth from India.
Radha demonstrates drawing with the kalam. The wool reservoir holds enough ink to make a long line without "re-dipping" the pen.
Participants get to try it out...
and see what happens...
Here Radha explains takuhon, a traditional stone rubbing technique invented in China about 1900 years ago. Rice paper is sprayed with water and placed over the surface to be printed,
then rubbed with a seed-filled cloth dipped in ink.
Workshop participant Kathleen Piercefield working on one of her pieces.
This was so much fun that I got quite involved, and didn't take too many photos from this point on. It's not that easy to participate in a workshop and photograph it at the same time!
A couple of the rubbings I did using Radha's laser-cut wood blocks.
This is a piece Radha was using to demonstrate gel medium transfers. Please visit her website and take a look at her gorgeous work.
BA-BOOM, BA-BOOM...
No, it's not the sound of fireworks (good guess, though). Nope! Guess again...
It's the sound of a PULSE! More precisely, the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- "a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community [masterminded by Seth Apter of The Altered Page]. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals." What could be cooler than that? Get on over there and check it out!
This was so much fun that I got quite involved, and didn't take too many photos from this point on. It's not that easy to participate in a workshop and photograph it at the same time!
BA-BOOM, BA-BOOM...
No, it's not the sound of fireworks (good guess, though). Nope! Guess again...
It's the sound of a PULSE! More precisely, the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- "a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community [masterminded by Seth Apter of The Altered Page]. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals." What could be cooler than that? Get on over there and check it out!
