Saturday, May 19, 2018

“Rainforest Beauty”
 Collection
My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
 ArtCloth

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
On this blog spot there are posts that center on my “Wearable Art” (e.g. scarves, digital or analogue created fabric lengths etc.) For your convenience I have listed these posts below.
A Selection of My Scarves
Leaves Transformed: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
My New Silk Rayon Velvet Scarves@Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery
My Fabric Lengths@QSDS
My Fabric Collection:"Oh, Oh Marilyn and Mona!"@Spoonflower
2013 Australian Craft Awards – Finalist
My Scarves@2014 Scarf Festival: "Urban Artscape" Pashminas
My New Scarves and Fabric Lengths
New Range of Silk Neckties - Karma and Akash
AIVA: My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
New Colorways For My 'Cultural Graffiti' Fabrics
Byzantine Glow: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Wall Flower: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Ink Fern - A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Celebratory Fireworks
My New Silk ArtCloth Scarves
New ‘Unique State’ Silk ArtCloth Scarves
UBIRR - My New Hand Dyed & Printed Fabric Design
Renaissance Man - My New Hand Dyed & Printed Fabric Design
Banksia - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Ginkgo Love - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Garden Delights I & II - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Wallflower III - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Rainforest Beauty - Collection My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Spring & Autumn Flurry Collection - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
La Volute Collection - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Urban Butterfly - My New Hand Printed Fabric Design
Acanthus Dream - My New Hand Printed Fabric Design
“Cascading Acanthus” - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed 'Rainforest Beauty' Pashmina Wraps Collection
My ArtCloth Tea Towels: A New Collection of Digitally Designed Products
Through the Land it Roared . . . ArtCloth Shawl
My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed ‘Urban Codes - Series 1’ Collection
Urban Moonlight - My Post Graffiti Doily
My New Hand Printed Fabric Design - "Morocco" ArtCloth
‘Vine Glow’
“Bush Banksia’s” Collection"
Releasing My New - ‘Unique State’ ArtCloth Scarves

If you like any of my artworks in the above links, please email me at - Marie-Therese - for pricing and for any other enquiries.


“Rainforest Beauty” Collection - Introduction
Pomaderris apetala, better known as the common Dogwood, is a quick growing shrub or small, slender tree growing to 6 metres. It is found in the wet shaded forests in Tasmania known as the wet sclerophyll forests.

Wet Sclerophyll forest is also known as tall open-forest and is unique to Australia. It is a multi-storyed habitat, characterised by a tall, open tree canopy and an understorey of shrubs, ferns and herbs. Many understorey plants are rainforest species or have close rainforest relatives. Moisture and soil are important characteristics of this habitat to maintain the growth of the tall eucalypts. The wet sclerophyll forest is a complex living system, yet this whole system is a dynamically balanced natural environment if not interrupted[1].

While eucalypts tower over other forest trees, competition is fierce as young gums battle for sunlight with pioneering rainforest species. Tall Eucalypts dominate the canopy and include blue gums, mahoganies, peppermints and green-leaved ashes. Wet sclerophyll forests are highly combustible and susceptible to fire[1].

The pomaderris apetala (common dogwood) is a widespread and beautiful rainforest species. It is one of the main components in the canopy of wet sclerophyll forests. It has large leaves, which have irregular margins and irregularly lumpy surface. The plant bears large clusters of pale yellow flowers in Spring.


“Rainforest Beauty” Collection - Concept and Processes
My new, contemporary fabric design collection, “Rainforest Beauty” is based on one of Australia’s truly unique Tasmanian rainforest native plant species, the pomaderris apetala better known as the common dogwood. Inspired by my visits to the Tasmanian wet forest areas I have created this collection to showcase the beauty of this plant species in a modern, timeless and unique design aesthetic.

The “Rainforest Beauty” Collection comes in a series of design formats and color ways - Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries, Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars, Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets.

As with all of my fabric designs, white fabrics, in this case cotton, were dyed and/or over dyed using time-honored hand dyeing techniques to add visual depth, pattern and contrast to the fabric background/s. Using time-honored hand printing processes the fabrics were then screen-printed with images of common dogwood over the entire fabric lengths. Additional techniques of stenciling and stamping were employed for some designs in the collection. Using analogous and/or complementary colors (in each specific color way), additional layers of complex images were overprinted in glazes, transparent, opaque and metallic pigments until a richly hued and multi layered surface was created.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries”
“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” comes in two color ways - one in rich blue and purple hues, the other in a palette of softer green and lilac hues. To create visual depth multiple, complex layers of common dogwood and berry images were screen printed and overprinted in a random, floating pattern over the entire fabric using glazes, transparent, opaque and metallic pigments to create a visually contrasting, richly hued and multi layered surface.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars”
“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” comes in two color ways - one in soft, pale blue and grey-green hues, the other in a harmonious suite of grey-blue and soft taupe-grey hues. To create visual depth multiple, complex layers of common dogwood and floating ‘star’ images were screen printed, stenciled and overprinted in a random, floating pattern over the entire fabric using transparent, opaque and metallic pigments to create a visually contrasting, richly hued and multi layered surface.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets”
“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” comes in one multi color way - a dynamic, richly patterned, shibori dyed background in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues. The linear, gradated structure of the dyed pattern gave an interesting formal quality to the background design. Mono printed dot shapes were printed onto the dyed surface layer. To create visual depth multiple, complex layers of common dogwood and paisley images were screen printed, stamped and overprinted in a semi-formal repeat pattern over the entire fabric using transparent and metallic pigments to create a visually deep, richly hued and textured surface.

The fabric and patterning in the “Rainforest Beauty” Collection can be designed using variations of the above color ways and patterning techniques to create a truly unique and individual statement. “Rainforest Beauty” Collection fabric lengths and fat quarters can be used for wearable art, accessories, quilts, furnishing, as framed artworks and interior design projects. Please contact me to discuss further options.


“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries”

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in rich blue and purple hues (close view).
Technique and Material: Multi-color dyed and screen printed employing transparent, opaque and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 110 cm wide x 94 cm high.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in rich blue and purple hues (close-up view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in rich blue and purple hues (detail view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in soft green and lilac hues (full view).
Technique and Material: Multi color dyed and screen printed employing glazes, transparent, opaque and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 77 cm wide x 109 cm high.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in soft green and lilac hues (close up view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Berries” in soft green and lilac hues (detail view).


“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars”

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in soft, pale blue and grey-green hues (full view).
Technique and Material: Multi color dyed, screen printed and stenciled employing transparent, opaque and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 104 cm wide x 98 cm high.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in soft, pale blue and grey-green hues (close up view).

Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in soft, pale blue and grey-green hues (detail view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in grey-blue and soft taupe-grey hues (full view).
Technique and Material: Multi color dyed, screen printed and stenciled employing transparent, opaque and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 104 cm wide x 98 cm high.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in grey-blue and soft taupe-grey hues (close up view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Stars” in grey-blue and soft taupe-grey hues (detail view).


“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets”

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues (close view).
Technique and Material: Shibori multi color dyed, mono printed, screen printed and stamped employing transparent and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 110 cm wide x 110 cm high.

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues (close up view).

“Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues (detail view).


Reference:
[1] Aussie Ark, Habitat - https://www.aussieark.org.au/our-work/habitat/

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