Rust Printing on Paper Workshop. With Kathy Johnson. Two Sessions: Saturday, November 6 & 13, 2021. 11 am- 2 pm. $135.00. $50.00 deposit holds your space. Call 203-245-5921 to register.
Learn about the natural process of rusting as you create rust prints on a wide variety of papers and then use those papers to create a concertina artist book.
Day 1
Learn 4 different techniques for rusting paper, 2 ways to rust thread and how to use tea to coax shades of gray from rusty metal to add color variation and extra interest to your prints.
Day 2:
Use your rusted papers to create a concertina book (aka Z-fold or accordion) with covers and a
string closure. Add pages to your book using a simple pamphlet stitch binding, See a demonstration and examples of collage techniques you can use to fill your pages, as well as how to make windows with translucent papers, and weave in strips of rusted papers. Finish your book with stitching, gold ink and small pieces of rusty metal.
Supplies included with the workshop:
* water color paper for the concertina book – cut to size and pre-scored for folding
* water color paper for front and back cover
* disposable gloves
* thread and string
* wax paper
* papers for rusting: sheet music, book pages, copy paper, deli paper, tracing paper, garden book pages, tissue paper, graph paper, coffee filters
* rusted cans and can lids
Student Supply list
Day 1:
* wood board, cardboard, or canvas panel (Approx. 16” x 20”) covered with plastic or freezer paper - sturdy enough to hold the weight of your metal and paper without bending so you can bring it home with you after class
* spray bottle filled with a 50/50 mixture of water and distilled white vinegar
* rusty washers, nails, bolts, nuts, wire, bottle caps, any other random pieces of rusty metal you can find, the more you have the better.
* small glass jar or mug (to hold hot tea)
Day 2
* all your rusted papers (dry and ironed flat)
* your rusted thread
* an awl (I will have several that can be borrowed if you don't have one)
* optional: metallic gold ink pen or metallic gold paint - I use the Uniball impact gel metallic pens
* optional: embroidery thread for stitching if you want to use other colors in addition to the thread you will be rusting. Good compliments to rust prints are turquoise, indigo blue, gray, and gold.
Kathy is a collage and eco-print artist from Waterford, CT She has a passion for plants, paper, rusty metal and creating a second life for discarded items by repurposing them into her art. The natural process of rusting is a perfect fit for her desire to use found items in a creative way and also incorporate natural dying techniques. She started out by rusting fabric for embroidery purposes and soon moved on to paper. Stitching still makes a regular appearance in her work and all these rusty papers get used for collage as well as in bookmaking.