Sun Prints Even in Winter?

My Joggles class this week features Sun Printing letters and text.  (Hint: use refrigerator magnets and foam letters) I love this process and often use the results in my work. This little altar piece above is part of a small series (so far) called Found Text. It's kind of a random improvisational way of working, where I find images and then words or words and then images in my stash, put them together almost like little visual poems. They aren't deep or profound, sometimes they are even whimsical, but they are works that make me happy -- not the least because I am making use of some fragments and bits and pieces that I  really like but that don't seem to fit into anything else I am doing!

But, I realized that for this online course, here I was suggesting sunprinting at a time when most of us can't use the sun for the results. Now, South Texas yesterday worked; it was about 85 in downtown San Antonio. But today, a Norther is upon us and the temps low, and more importantly, the wind is roaring, no way to keep shadows on a piece of fabric!

Here's what Pebeo, makers of Setacolor --one of the best  paints to use for this process -- recommends:

"If the sun is not reliable there are other options. Heat lamps such as those used by restautants", grow lights (I'm sure you have one) and I say, just use those metal work lamps mounted close to your fabric. Don't go off and leave these, any could cause a fire if the bulb fell on the fabric or it got too hot. But you will get the results if the humidity is low. High humidity, too? Better wait until August!

Some other tips gathered here and there for sunprints:

Sprinkle the surface with salt

Use complementary color washes of your thinned out paints

Rubber band fabric, spray with paints and leave in the sun for an interesting variation of tie dye

Comments

[Lisa Chin]

I love doing faux sun printing. I don't have a huge lamp to use but have had fairly good results with my desk lamp, of all things! Looks like you all have a great time.