Grunge Painted Fabric (muslin)

These six photos are of muslin painted by my local group, the Mile High Book Arts group here in the Denver metro area. We had our monthly meeting yesterday, and this was the art project we did. Karen Campbell, our talented and fearless leader, spread out yards of muslin fabric across several tables, and then each member picked a section to start painting on. After several minutes of painting that spot, we all moved to the left, and started painting on that section, on top of what had already been painted. And so, we went around the table that way and kept moving to the left until all of us had painted on every section of the muslin. Then when it was dry, Karen cut it into many pieces and we each got to take home two pieces.

Of course no two sections on the fabric were the same. We used brushes, stamps, and stencils for the painting, as you can see. Some people used unconventional items for stamping, such as a toilet paper tube for the black circles. Some people used stamps they had carved themselves. The point was to fill up the whole fabric piece with paint, layering paint on top of paint. I guess that's why it's called Grunge Painting.

As a group, we've done this before on paper, and we all love doing the Grunge Painting and then taking home the neat results. But this was the first time we did it on fabric, and of course the results are the same as on paper. But we plan to make a fabric book this year or next year in our group, so we're thinking of ways to create great fabric backgrounds at some of our meetings.

The neat thing about the process of this technic is that multiple artists paint the same section of fabric and do their own thing, and also the amount of layering done. We all painted quickly and spontaneously, without planning it out or thinking about it, or fear of covering something up that was already painted. So the result really does end up being spontaneous and serendipitous.

Obviously, to do this technic involves more than one person, and preferably many people. Although it could be done with just two people, I suppose. But if you're in a group, this is a very fun and easy project to do with great, and unique, results. Because no one else in the whole wide world has two painted fabric pieces exactly like mine!!! And these will make great backgrounds for my fabric book, when we work on that project.

So, is anyone game to try this? Do it with an art group, or invite a few art friends over for a painting party. Or, if you can't get another person, paint, go out of the room, come back in, and pretend you're someone else. Oh well, just a suggestion.