While preparing my stencil-dyed cloth for a soak in the tub this a.m., I noticed this frosty vision of the back yard.
The fabric has been curing for about a week, hanging from the ceiling near a radiator. The backside shows the raised texture created by contrast between the dried rice paste resist and the dyed areas.
The work soaks in the tub for awhile to dissolve the rice paste resist. Now it is hanging to dry.
This morning I saw this little fellow contentedly munching the remains of our kale, which was sticking up above the snow. We didn’t pull the it out of the ground this fall because it always seemed to perk up after a freeze. I’m glad the bunny waited until winter. He’ll get his B-vitamins! Our dog Lydia likes to hunt for him in the yard after dark but he is far to quick for her!
I was thinking today how monotone winter can be. This weekend it’s been raining, sleeting, the snow is dirty and the skies are dark gray. Then I found this photo I snapped a couple of weeks ago …
I’m dyeing this work with fuchsia and turquoisey-teal, and where they overlap makes a kind of violet. Keeping a softer focus with my eyes and a looser grip on the brush feels great after the concentration needed to paste a repeat. Less fussy. And this approach to the painting should give some softness to the details and edges defined by the stencil.
The little tulips that inspired this pattern are the first bulbs to bloom in my garden. We won’t see them again until mid-April or so.
silver minnow 