Painting Textiles with Metallic Paint...

...one of my favorite things to do! Particularly when I've been focusing on hand sewing the past few days -- it was refreshing to put on the overalls, put the hair up in a pony tail -- and get out the sponges and stuff brushes.

I'm actually making progress on my hand-stitched piecing (oh -- see -- there I go again "progress" -- always thinking, focusing, obsessing about "progress." Note to self: "process NOT progress -- remember that!" Um, I'm actually "enjoying" the process (there, that's better) and am really getting the hang of it. I will post those pictures later.

Anyway - here are the results of my painting session today -- some cotton duck and canvas that I cut up, treated with textile medium, sponge painted, crinkled, and then "removed" medium by pressing down with stamps and texture plates for added interest. I photographed these outside (I dry these types of projects in the sun because the sun also helps to "heat set" the paint. It was difficult getting their "true" colors to show - because the luminosity of the metallic paint causes reflection and glare -so these pictures do not do the colors justice.

I'm thinking the leaf piece (which is metallic olive, gold, copper, nickel and brass) is going to make its way somehow into my giveaway surprise -- and the others I will probably cut up and use elsewhere. I have a basket in my studio that I throw these pieces into and then when the urge (or the project) dictates - I grope through the basket. It's great having a bunch of stuff already painted and/or dyed that you can just go in and grab when you need it -- rather than having to paint it right then and there. That's why "painting days" are very necessary. Don't you agree???