Painted and varnished floor cloths, rugs or runners were among the first floor coverings in North America. The style originated back in 14th century France, where painted fabrics were used as wall hangings and table covers. By the 18th century floor cloths were brought to North America by the British. Until the invention of linoleum, floor cloths were popular for the poor to the very rich.

Today, floor cloths are used mostly as art. They are a decorative and creative, art form most commonly associated with Arts and Crafts. Whether you are going to put it on the floor or display it on the wall and a piece of art or collage, floor mats are very durable and resilient. They are easy to clean, just wipe with a sponge, or a simple soap and water mixture will also do.

In the past, people were destined to inhale horribly caustic fumes from the paint and varnish. These caustic materials were the only way to achieve longevity. Today things are different. It is no longer necessary to have oil based products, water soluble paints and varnishes are faster drying, easier application and clean up, and just as durable.

What you will need: Medium to heavy weight canvas, gesso, assorted brushed, fabric paints, sponges, stencils, bottles, rags, acrylic varnish and Soluvar.

First, you will need to gesso your canvas. Gesso is an acrylic primer, which protect the fibers in the fabric and create a smooth are for application. Secondly, you will need to stretch your canvas. If you are not familiar with this process, there are several web sites with easy to follow instructions. Stretching your canvas will allow for easier paint application. When choosing the paint, it’s best to choose actual fabric paint. Otherwise, you could be dealing with cracking, problematic drying time and it might be non-light fasted. Personally I like to use Liquitex, but your opinion may differ so do some trials to find the best one suited for you. There are many different possibilities for creativity on your floor cloth. On a single floor cloth there may be many different techniques such as, watercolors, airbrushing, stamping, block printing, stenciling, ragging and sponging, silk-screening, collage and faux finishing. Anything goes, the only limits are yours.

Once you floor cloth has been painted and dried, it’s time to varnish. This will protect your artwork and allow it to be walked on if necessary. Once again I love Liquitex varnish. It comes in matte and gloss depending on your desired effect. Apply 3-5 coats. Two important notes, 1-do not over-work the area, this could lead to texture and clouding from the varnish, and two-don’t apply vigorously, which can cause bubbles to form and dry in your work. The varnish can be applied with brushes, paint pads, or sprays. For a more aged look, add some raw umber to the varnish. For a folk art look add white wash over the final coat of paint, before varnishing.

Soluvar is a durable, non-yellowing varnish that is very important to a piece near a heat source or in high traffic areas. A coating of Soluvar will prevent a sticky feeling from the cloth. Over time, your floor cloth may need cleaning; you can remove the Soluvar with soap and water then reapply for a brand new look. This process will not affect the original piece. If your floor cloth is in a damp area, remember to coat both sides of the canvas with varnish.

This information can also be applied to umbrellas, outdoor canvas lawn chair covers, cushion covers, table runners placemats, stair runners and room dividers.

 

By: Pat Munro

Metal clay is a suspension of tiny particles of metal in a clay binder, which can be used to make jewellery, beads and small findings. The beauty of metal clay is that it can be manipulated in the same way as any modelling clay, but once fired the binding agents are burnt off leaving the metal form intact. Although there is a certain amount of shrinkage (between 10-15% for the more modern versions), very fine detail can be achieved, including impressions that would require casting in any other method of metalwork.

Silver metal clay results in objects containing almost pure silver (also known as fine silver) which is ideal for enamelling. There are two popular brands available – Precious Metal Clay (also known as PMC) and Art Clay Silver (ACS). Precious Metal Clay was developed in the early 1990’s in Japan and consists of microscopic particles of pure silver (or fine gold powder) and a water-soluble binder which burns off during firing. The original formula of PMC (now called ‘Standard’) has to be fired in a kiln at a temperature of 1650F and has a high shrinkage rate of around 30%. Two additional versions were later developed called PMC+, which can be fired at 1490F and PMC3, which can be fired at temperatures as low as 1100F. Both of these later versions of PMC have much lower shrinkage rates, allowing much finer detail to be worked into designs.

Art Clay Silver (ACS) was also developed in Japan and is similar in consistency to PMC+. The main difference with ACS is that it can be fired using a hand-held torch or gas oven. Because of subtle differences in the binder components and the longer firing times, ACS benefited from having a considerably lower shrinkage percentage – only 8-10%. This means that ACS can be worked in more detail without any loss of definition in fine work. Art Clay Slow Dry was introduced soon after, which has a much longer working time before requiring firing, allowing intricate work to be moulded into the clay with no loss of malleability.

Art Clay 650 and Art Clay 650 Slow Dry are now becoming increasingly popular, as not only do they have a longer working time but can be fired at temperatures as low as 650C/1200F. This allows jewellers to incorporate glass and Sterling Silver into the designs without fear of damaging the components. AIDA, the manufacturers of ACS have also introduced Oil Paste, a product only used on fired metal clay or milled fine silver, and Overlay Paste which is designed for drawing designs onto glass and porcelain. These two products have allowed the use of metal clay products to be incorporated into a whole new range of designs and mediums, expanding the potential of this product.

Metal clays allow jewellers to work with a material that is as malleable as ordinary modelling clay but produces fine (almost pure) silver jewellery of exquisite intricacy and beauty. Once polished it has a lustre and shine that is easily comparable to cast silver and because of the development of the products over the last few years shrinkage is now no longer an issue. The type used depends on personal preference as both types have their advantages, but incorporating metal clays into your jewellery design gives you a new medium to explore with beautiful results.

By: Adam Hunter