PRINTED LEAF SCARF

Create a unique pattern using leaves as natural stamps.

YOU WILL NEED

Pongee 5mm silk scarf from George Weil (georgeweil.com) newspaper (for covering the table and cutting into squares for the printing process) clear Cellophane a selection of leaves in different shapes and sizes System 3 acrylic paint in lemon yellow, cobalt blue, crimson and white System 3 textile medium old plate (for mixing paint) flat medium wide-area hog-hair brush, available from Royal & Langnickel (artuk.royalbrushstore.com)

Cover a flat worksurface with several layers of newspaper, then a length of Cellophane (slightly larger than the length of your scarf ), then the scarf. Mix together your chosen paint colours: yellow and blue into shades of green; red, blue and yellow into various browns, adding more red to make a richer tone and red and blue to make mauve. Adding white will create paler tones. Mix the colours with the textile medium – 1 part acrylic paint to 1 part textile medium. Take a leaf and cover with an even coat of paint over the veined side of it. Pick up the leaf by the stalk and place face down onto the silk scarf. Put a square of newspaper over the leaf and press down firmly with the palm of your hand – try not to shift the leaf or the scarf as this could smudge the print. Carefully remove the leaf. Continue to paint and print the leaves, using a selection of shapes, colours and different sides of the leaves until the scarf is covered, or looks as you want it to. Print with different colours, combining tones to create an attractive and eye-catching design. Leave in place and allow to dry. Once it is totally dry, gently pull the scarf away from the Cellophane. Follow the textile medium instructions for setting the paint.