I had mixed results with the whole photocopy-collage-silk-fabric lamination thing.
Here are both collaged pieces pinned down under 100 silk organza. Yummy fabric.
After using a silkscreen to apply the gel medium, then drying, pressing, soaking and scrubbing the fabric, I was left with this faded disaster:
This is the fabric-side (as opposed to the paper-side) of the fabric. It’s so dim-looking, I’m disappointed after all that glue-sticking. When I applied the gel medium on Saturday, the color photocopies in the collage were mostly just a few days old. I read in the book by Claire Benn and Leslie Morgan on the topic that it’s best to let color photocopies “cure” for at least a week for using them. Now I know why; I thought I was exempt from this recommendation. So, I think that’s one factor. The photocopies I used in the more successful prickly pear piece in January were 2 months old.
The other issue is perhaps the subject matter itself. Saguaros aren’t generally a bright, vibrant green; they’re looking especially parched now due to the rainless winter here, but even after inches of rain, their green is still not bright, at least not consistently. Their color isn’t enough of a contrast with the black-and-white photo background.
The poppy piece fared a bit better, this is the “fabric-side”:
This is the “paper-side”: all the paper is scrubbed off, what you see is just pigment, but the color is brighter and I think the fractured effect is a bit stronger.
And this is the same side, on top of some dyed orange fabric, instead of the white above; this of course brightens things up and will likely be what I decide to use for the backing.
Next time I spend hours on a collage I’m using photocopies that are a month old for sure. Time to get thee to a photocopy shop now, so I can start another collage next month.
