Fabric and Gunpowder!

I really enjoy the blog …And Then We Set It On Fire… The contributors are individual fiber artists who work in and explore a multitude of surface design techniques and more; sometimes working together. I once had the pleasure of being a guest artist on FIRE!

One of their recent blog posts did more than catch my eye. My interest was really sparked when I read that Kelly Hendrickson and Wil Opio Oguta, the two artists posting on FIRE this month, had been exploring the use of GUNPOWDER on fabric!

I have tried many different techniques over the years, here are some…

shibori opening detail
Shibori pole wrapped straight, using Jacquard Textile Color paints
anns shibori painted
Shibori pole wrapped on diagonal using Jacquard Textile Color paints
tube shibori
Shibori rope wrapped using dye

stamping, dripping, splattering, flour resist, stencil made on the sewing machine; painted and stenciled onto fabric made on a plastic tarp, rubbings with wax pastels, painted cheesecloth, melted Lutradur, burnt silk, just painting, and lots and lots of hand painted sky and landscape fabric… but never gunpowder!

curving printing silk gelli
drip stamped3
flour paste a4
flour resist 3
machine made stencil painted
machine made stencil
melt lutradur burn silk
rubbing paint wax pastels
fabric painting rose
sky fab assort

Kelly and Wil have publish an e-book the explores their gunpowder techniques (I just bought it!), I hope you will visit “…And Then We Set It On Fire…” and each of their websites – I think you’ll have a blast!

Thanks to Kelly and Wil for letting me share their gunpowder post!

By Ann Scott

I started sewing and designing using fabric, thread, and paper when I was a child. I taught myself to make quilts, at first not following the "rules," then watched some experts, learned the rules, and made many hand quilted and appliqued quilts. I spent years focusing on miniature landscape quilts. Now I am a fiber and mixed media artist and that encompasses everything I have a passion for. I have taught, lectured, and my work have show nationally and internationally, some pieces have been published.

3 comments

  2. Gunpowder! Oh my, you are the brave soul. Though, given the huge variety of surface design techniques you’ve already tried (really love the diagonal painted shibori) I guess you’re looking for new worlds to conquer. Let me know if your experiment is a bang or a bust. And I, too, follow that blog, and am amazed at what they get up to.

  3. I have yet to purchase my gunpowder but it’s going to happen soon! I’m glad you like the diagonal shibori… I just love shibori, any which way!

Comments are closed.