resin doming

a trickier process than might first appear.

first issue is resin preparation and ensuring the chemistry is in date and thoroughly mixed. decanting into a second container for further mixing is a step i’m keeping in my process as i’ve had issues with incomplete curing even with fresh materials.

my preferred technique for avoiding bubbles is to leave the mixed resin for approx. 10 minutes before pouring – makes a huge difference to large bubbles. the smallest bubbles are less of an issue for me on top of the colours/patterns of the chiyogami papers. i did experiment with a heat gun on top of the fresh pour but if anything it increased bubbling problems. the gun has turned out to be really helpful in evening out accidental dents in nearly-cured pieces.

my final step is to apply the resin with a syringe – it doesn’t deliver a steady stream, rather spurts, but it helps me not to over-pour: each piece takes approx. 4.5 ml to make a nice dome without overspill. i’m getting better at clean-up, but the ideal would always be to pour just right first time.

mirror compacts

in development 🙂

fun day in the studio

packing

interleaving

japanese motifs: the iris

silver edge iris

my little back yard has raised bed planters. somewhere in (what is now) the jungle i planted an iris with a silver edge. possibly my favourite flower of all time.

journal and album with vintage ayame kimono silk | watch this space…

in japanese tradition the iris – ayame, kakitsubata or hanashobu, depending on the variety – is associated with the spring, the warrior spirit, purification and protection in battle and from evil spirits abroad on the 5th day of the 5th month, known as boys’ day – tango no sekku (now children’s day – kodomo no hi).

c19th linen summer kimono – katabira – irises by a bridge | v&a

in fabric design the iris is frequently shown in association with bridges, after a famous section of the c10th tales of ise. the hero travels far to yatsuhashi (“eight bridges”) and is so struck by the beauty of the iris that he composes a poem for his wife, left behind in kyoto. each line of the poem begins with one of the syllables of the flower name ka-ki-tsu-ha(ba)-ta. ever since, kakitsubata and zigzag wooden bridges have been linked as a motif in art and literature.

ayame and kiku (chrysanthemum) kimono silk | watch this space…

 

find out more: japanese iris

find out more: tango no sekku 

drool a bit and add to your amazon wish list 😀 kimono and the colours of japan

japanese papers: chiyogami

sakura (cherry blossom) and kiku (chrysanthemum) chiyogami | on etsy

literally chiyo “a thousand generations” gami “paper”, these vibrant and durable papers were developed in the late 18th century, copied from fashionable kimono fabrics.

tsuru (crane) chiyogami | on etsy

they are also known in the us as yuzen, after the main textile producing district of kyoto. the papers were designed to be cut up and use small scale designs, similar to modern quilting cottons.

geometric chiyogami | on etsy

originally produced with wood block printing, modern chiyogami is screen printed. the highest quality papers that i use are laboriously hand-printed.

various stages of screen printing process | japanese paper place

a final layer of gold or silver metallic overlay provides their unique lustre.

photos can’t capture the true beauty of these papers | on etsy

i hold an ever changing selection of chiyogami papers, why not commission a bespoke journal, sketchbook or album with your choice of covers, binding and endpapers? on etsy