I have the most popular husband in the world of rust. He came about it quite by accident.
I’ve rusted fabric from time to time with limited success. After participating in a critique group that included Regina Benson, I decided I wanted to try again and was mentioning to my hubby that I needed to find metal shavings.
Who knew that he worked in the same building where they turn cast iron brake drums six at a time, eight hours a day, five days a week? The next day I had a coffee can filled to the brim with small grains of cast iron. I was so excited that I immediately grabbed fabric and vinegar and started playing.
Within 30 minutes I was seeing color on the fabric. I rushed to the computer and e-mailed Regina. This was so exciting! Most rusting takes days, and it was happening on my fabric in a matter of hours.
The next day I had the chance to see Regina’s studio and her latest installation pieces in process when I delivered a coffee can of cast iron shavings. Soon Liz Kettle, Leah Dennison, and Liz Raba were also playing with this new way to rust.
It didn’t take long before the perfect subject for my rusted fabric came to mind. Tiger Eyes has a combination of commercial and hand-dyed fabrics pieced for the background and rusted, rusted tea-dyed, and eco-flower-dyed fabrics for the wolf pup.
Thank you, Jack, for feeding our addiction.