Krawczyk - Intentional printing : simple techniques for inspired fabric art

is an application of intentional printing I use frequently in my work.

This book is meant to help guide you toward your own kind of understanding about your art. Yes, there are techniques and there are projects to help you refine your skills. But there is more than that. I can teach you technique until the cows come home, but Im doing you a disservice if I dont help nudge you toward assimilating these new skills into your personal vision.

Intentional printing is about slowing down and looking beyond the mechanics of how to print pattern on fabric. Its about discovering your intention toward your art by slowing down, getting to know what you love, and embracing the techniques that you learn to create your own art. Its permission to go inward and focus on the aspects of your art that speak your truth the clearest.

Heres to finding your own sweet spot.

Intentional Printing in Action

The easiest way to demonstrate the flexibility of intentional printing is to set it loose among six artists with varying styles. Ive chosen five textile artists, in addition to myself, who have very clear visions of the work they create. Their styles are well-defined, and their work is distinctive. Using the principles of intentional printing, I printed fabric that is customized to their styles and asked them to make a project from them. Throughout this book well visit with each of the artists and see her approach to working with fabric produced by intentional printing.

Being an artist is about more than the techniques used to create your work. A clear understanding of how you move through your creative practice is just as important. Acting with intention when it comes to your art is about striking a balance between spontaneity and purpose. The combination is powerful and liberating. In this chapter, well explore the basic ideas of intentional printing and learn how to harness them in our work.

What do I do with it now? This is the eternal question every fiber artist has asked herself when faced with a hunk of handprinted fabric.

When I first began working in surface design, I accumulated a giant pile of printed fabric. After it reached epic heights, I decided to sort it into two piles: pieces that I loved and would use in a project and those that I thought would make great backings for projects. The latter category had the most by a landslide.

Thats when I realized I needed to make a change. Making fabric with the hope that it might work in a piece of artwork felt like a waste of time and resources. I needed to make fabric for a project. And so intentional printing began.

I threw away everything from my art-making process and started rebuilding from the ground up. Two things topped the list of problems I wanted to change. The first was that I was relying too heavily on serendipity in my work, that eternal hope that a bolt of inspiration will strike and Ill create a really stunning piece of art.

The second issue was that I was experimenting too much. I was trapped in a constant cycle of distraction and wanted to try everything new that came down the pipe. I was constantly starting over, never getting good at anything, and my work reflected the unrefined quality that comes with having just learned something.

The goal became clear: to construct a way of working that gave me more control in the art-making process without strangling the creative groove and to pick a facet of surface design that I truly loved and see how far I could push it.