Birds of Paradise in the late afternoon sun, soft focus.
Hi Friends,
I finally got to see a picture of the rust and leaf print commission piece I made for the spa in Kansas City, Missouri in situ. It looks amazing! They hung it on a painted brick wall, and it really makes the space feel warm and inviting.
You may remember that this was a tough commission for me. It took many months to complete, and several tries before I got a triptych that the owners of the spa liked.
Seeing it hanging there is kind of thrilling! You can read the story about the design and art of Selah Lounge and Kla Sanctuary by clicking here.
A lot of leaves came down during our recent torrential rains, so I decided to do some leaf prints on canvas and other fabrics.
It can be difficult to get decent prints on fabric unless you use a mordant, and most of the powdered mordants are toxic, so I avoid them.
Instead I used some of my rust mark canvas pieces (rejects from the spa commission coming in handy!) and other pieces of canvas dipped in an iron solution made by letting rusty nails soak in vinegar for many months.
Iron gives dark colors, and the resulting prints are kind of stunning! Here’s a picture of them laying on my studio floor drying.
And here are a few of my favorites after being dried.
I like the delicacy of them as they are, without anything added. I don’t think they need anything else. I’m thinking of mounting them on either natural linen or black selvedge denim, perhaps with some stitching on the backing fabric. Stay tuned!
What are you working on this winter? Or summer, if you’re in the southern hemisphere! I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts. You can share them with us in the comments section below.
With love and appreciation,
Cassandra
They look so elegant there! Great commission and what an entrancing spa! Congratulations!!!!
Yes, I wish that spa was here! I’d love to drop in to the Tea Lounge as well.
Your pieces look absolutely STUNNING there! Thank you for sharing the photo!
Other than “elbow grease,” do you have any suggestions for getting dried acrylics off of a textured linoleum floor? My studio needs help!
Thanks, Louise! I was really happy with how these turned out.
Will the dried acrylic paint peel off of the linoleum, maybe with the help of a razor blade or some other scraper? If not, add more paint and make it look like an intentional piece of art!
I’m so amazed and inspired to see your beautiful works in the Kansas Spa! Congratulations. I always enjoy your newsletter.
Thank you, Sherry. I was amazed to see them, too! They look so much better hanging there than they looked on the floor of my studio. It’s almost as if they’ve taken on a life of their own!