Chelsea Swan

Ive been doing inky things since I was a kid. If fun and pretty. i used to do it by cutting open my felt tips and then by stealing my mothers pouder watercolours and then with watercolour inks and ink cartridges for fountain pens, and now with the acrylic ink and most recently by buying the refills for graffiti pens and using that. The acrylics and graffiti paint can be used of fabric and not rub off when you start sewing or drawing. They can also be used on paper. This is how I get the brightest colours that can be diluted.

I was working on something I wanted to look quite ethereal so I first sprayed the surface of an acrylic offcut with water, then dropped the ink on, then wet the fabric, or paper and then placed it over the fabric. When you have done this you can add salt to make starbursts. There are other things you can splash on like bleach for other effects. You don’t really know how it will turn out. You could ruin the fabric, place it badly, muddy it, leave no white space, barely pick up and colour. I must like it though because in one form or another I have always done this. I love color. It brings me joy. I need colour and distraction and fun.

I think it’s good to share how we do things and what we use. Much of art is exclusionary.