Ellen Lindner: Art & Creativity

Do you know about deconstructed screen printing?  Well, it’s a little hard to explain.  Basically, you apply thickened dye, in a random design, to a screen and let it dry.  (Yes, let it dry.)  Then, you print with a release agent.  It picks up the color from the screen in a variety of unexpected ways and is very cool!

Kerr Grabowski developed this technique and she was the teacher at a workshop I recently attended.  I think you’ll really enjoy seeing a demonstration from her on this YouTube video.

I wasn’t very good about taking photos in our workshop, but here are a few.  This was Kerr’s sample screen.  For texture below the screen, I think she used a tea bag, the lid to her tea/coffee cup, and a squiggly sort of stamp.

Click any image for a larger view

She brought beautiful samples with her.  These delicate lines were made with a syringe filled with black dye.  Even though the dye didn’t print on these passes, an interesting shadowing effect was achieved.

More of her samples.  Again, the most delicate lines were done with a syringe.

Now for my results, which were QUITE humbling, (and out of focus.)

The red swirls were made with a syringe of BLACK dye.  Clearly, that black had a lot of red in it.  Detail below.

Although my results were marginal, I bet they’ll make their way into future quilts.

I doubt I’ll use this technique again, but I definitely enjoyed a day of learning and play!

Ellen Lindner