deconstructing the screen

Everybody had gone home and Jane and I were finishing the laundry: the last batch was in the wash and we were marveling at the quantity and beauty of today's fabrics. We spent the morning getting the concept and making the screens; afternoon was a printfest! Some of the people in the class were experienced art quilters/surface design afficionados. Others had never worked with thickened dyes before -- or even printed. But you'd never know it from the results. I recognized Beverly Hart the minute she came in the door. She had driven all the way from Spanish Fork, Utah for the class and couldn't get to work fast enough! She came with piles of dyed fabric and attacked the ones she perceived as "uglies" right away. She had brought a piece of gorgeous batik with her and wanted to make some fabrics that might work with it.Cathy Stewart, whom I also know from the Internet, was in class. This is her first screen... and here's how the first print looked. It is amazing - when you deconstruct the screen, it never looks the way you think it will. (actually, it always looks better).

Jeanette is evaluating her screen. You'll probably see the result tomorrow. It's a wonderful blue and white print. Gjeneve is already going back into a print, adding more color with the thickened dyes. She took her fabrics home tonight, so hopefully we'll see more tomorrow.Meantime, she treated her daughter-in-law Jenny, who is visiting from Milwaukee, to the class. Jenny claims never to have printed before, but I find it hard to believe. Susan and Angela shared space and traded tools but came up with very different things. Susan's work was still in the wash when I left tonightbut here's a picture of Angela's first screen and print. Maxine is a book and collage artist who works in mixed media. More of her work tomorrow. Some work hanging on the line this afternoon. A feast for the eyes.

More tomorrow.