Docudye in the Jungle

My last post, from more than a year ago, talks about my next Lumi project. Due to a slurry of circumstances, I wasn't able to continue the project as quickly as I had hoped.

My hope, was that I could print on the road - while my family and I traversed the US and Mexico to land in Belize. At the time, I was also working full time and pining over our 6 month old. It would have been too stressful to attempt my prints.

After arriving in Belize, there was a lot going on. I was still working full time, we still had our precious little one, and the pets. Now, we also had guests to tend to, and a house to build.

After the house was built, I did a little bit of stenciling, but things were more challenging than I expected. There was too much wind, and dirt to deal with. It was hard to find a flat surface, and I would get pulled away to tend to TJ.

It's easy to get discouraged, but I have been inspired recently by the children who surrounded me at Easter, and through reading some of Susan Vreeland books. With this newfound hope, I am arranging a new printing process - designed especially for jungle living.

The only way I can figure to do this (since it's sunny everywhere all the time) is to work before the sun rises. This is not as easy as it sounds. It means I have to sneak out of bed before TJ wakes up, and she generally wakes right before I come around. I might have to try a gentile alarm that wakes me, but not her.

Anyway, you can see the set up above. Tarp below, covered with a layer of clear plastic, and then the glass. I don't think I will use the glass for too many prints here. It provides a nice weight, but it does also increase exposure time. I have the blocks to hold everything down from the wind, and have hung the large sheet to provide a smidgen of protection as the sun rises. Well.... I'm not convinced it blocks much from the Lumi, but it keeps the sun off my back anyway!

I also learned that I'm not going to mess with making new prints here. I simply can't find printable transparency paper.

I reprinted Ruth St. Denis with feather and dress, but they did not turn out well at all. I was reminded how thin the dye must be applied, and that there cannot be access dye mingling about. That combined with the greenish glass must have caused exposure problems.

I do like the way the nature prints are turning out, and intend to continue more with those. I can get a kind of sateen here for $4.25/yd BZ and so will be working with that. It will be my first time with the material.

I think it's also time to do a little Lumi research. I'd like to see what others are doing, if anyone else is experimenting at this level, and if so... how is it going????

Starting Where I Left Off

My last blog demonstrates my venture into using Lumi's Inkodye for an experimental art show at a local gallery. I learned through this experience, that I really like the medium. I received such positive feedback, but I also just enjoyed the process. It takes just the right combination of creativity and skill, and the clean-up is quick and painless. Do I dare suggest that this may be my medium of choice? Dare, I do.

When I started using Inkodye, I experimented with colors, shades, exposure time, material and artificial UV sources.

My next project is a compliment to the one featured in my earlier blog. I'll be using different images of the same dancer, printing at a large scale and layering an additional image (this time hand-painting the 2nd). I'll be making smaller versions too, with the goal of making them available for purchase.

Prepping the negatives for the small prints.

Stay tuned while I continue to document my inkodye-based experiments and projects.