Tuesday 10th July: 1 Day Fabric Printing Workshop at 3rd Rail Printspace

Despite having studied fashion textile design and specialising in silk-screen-printing, I have forgotten everything in the fifteen year hiatus.  It was so lush to have the opportunity for a one day refresher course at the open-access studio of 3rd Rail in Peckham Levels.  The two tutors spent the day starting teaching us from scratch so that beginners could get an understanding from the very basics.

We had an introduction to the different kind of fibres, materials and compositions of fabrics in relation to techniques in how these can be chemically manipulated with printing techniques.  This ranged from disperse dyes to the difference in translucent to opaque inks.  We handled samples from fashion designers to get a feel for how to alter surface textures from bleaches such as devoree or layers like flocking.  The options are endless as to how you can mix and match these variables to create your own unique fabric.

We experimented with our artwork and were helped how to arrange it into a format to fit the dimensions to get the most out of having one screen.  The next step was to learn how to coat our screen with light-sensitive solution and then expose the images to imprint the design.  Once this was fixed and washed to reveal the print in the gauze, we mixed up our coloured inks from the white "medium" and droplets of pigment.  I knew that I wanted to achieve a gradient so I created a pastel pink that would bleed as a violet into a pastel blue. 

I was using a reinterpretation of one of my archive patterns "Wham Bam Tanagram, Famalam" which meant that I lay down the black outline first as a border for the colour blocks.  I learnt how to use my eye to match up the repeat to print a length of the fabric.  Once this was dry the next stage was to mix the colours in an ombre and pull through the opalescent second coat.  I learnt a valuable lesson by making the mistake of using my screen the wrong way round, which meant it didn't fit and resulted in the pattern being off-set.  Hopefully this means I won't do the same again and made the whole experience even more worthwhile!  

I came away with a piece of original textile design from just one day in the studio in addition to the knowledge and practise learnt.  I'm now planning to return for the intermediate workshop in August to follow onto the next stage and push the art-form even further! 

Find out more about how you can use the open-access studio or enrol on their workshops over on the website here and follow their news on Instagram here 

Thursday 14th June: Peckham Levels Open Studios - 3rd Rail Print Space

As part of the Peckham Levels Open Studios, resident screen-printing practise 3rd Rail were live fly-posting the exterior of the entrance with artist The Fandangoe Kid.  The paste-up prints were the outcome from a workshop previously held at the studio for women to dismantle stereotypes and share messages of emotional honesty.  There's another "Meet the Maker" workshop to screen print your own dating rules coming up on July 12th.  Head over to their website to see the full schedule of classes available from paper printing to fabric printing, t-shirt printing at all levels of ability and fashion illustration with Helen Bullock on June 27th.

(Images include Fandangoe Kid printed tote bags, screen for Galdem Magazine, gallery shop prints of Mr. Penfold & Hattie Stewart, prints by studio artist Tris Rees-Boughton, The Fandangoe Kid)

Wednesday 13th June: Peckham Levels Open Studios

2017 ended at Peckham Levels with the Worldwide Christmas Party at Ghost Notes and Vegan Meze from Nandine.  I haven't been able to stay away since.  I've ventured south of the river on numerous occasions for the different openings of each floor as the development has come together.  Another recent exceptional night was a one-off gig with the two-piece of Tony Allen and Amp Fiddler (and surprise guest appearance of Damon Albarn on the keys).

On Friday night all of the seven levels came together for one monumental open studios with the warrens of creative hubs propping their doors ajar for the general public to peek in.  Each business within the social enterprise dedicate allotted hours to open access by offering their services to the local community, so this was a chance to get know the residents.   I found music producers with mixing desks, photography dark rooms for developing film and exposing prints, jewellers, textile & fashion designers, ceramicists, embroiderers, 3D model makers and even a string instrument carpenter.  This was my personal favourite as he literally carves violins and cellos from blocks of wood!!!

Pictured here is also WAH! Nails hosting a pop-up salon within Cahoonas Hair Hub and the original architectural drawings for the award-winning spectrum stairwell by AO Architecture.  I've also included a photo of local artist Katrina Adams mural at nearby Copeland Park as her artwork is included in Flock boutique within Peckham Levels.  Head over to their online shop to see more! 

See archive posts here,  here  and here.

Monday 11th June: Bold Tendencies 2018

I'm so glad that Simon Whybray's pink painted installation is still intact and refreshed on the stairwell up the levels of Peckham's multi-story carpark to Bold Tendencies.  The outdoor and scenic sculpture show gets even more colourful with this year's major piece "Cloudburst" by Irina Kirchuk.  A rainbow of reconfigured, reappropriated refuse on the roof represents the fabric of London’s skyline using waste from the local SE15 area.  Her site-specific concept has answered the theme for 2018's art commissions focusing on ecology.   I love the combination of something that is visually stunning to draw your attention and then follows up with an urgent message such as this.  Not only that, but is brightening up the current grey-sky Summer we are experiencing in the city, so just for that reason it's already winning.

(The other Polyhedra structure here is a tent that houses a film projection piece "Mirror Matter" by Emilija Skarnulyte, and neon sculpture by Arjuna Neuman) 

See my archive posts on Bold Tendencies here, here, here , here , here , here. and here