Martha Cole - Workshops - Wheat Paste Applications Supply List

Wheat Paste is an incredibly expressive medium which allows you to embed "your mark" directly on paper or cloth as well as being inexpensive and versatile. It has an inherent sense of depth and can be used on a wide range papers and fabrics.

After a few introductory exercises on paper, we will concentrate on the application of the wheat paste mixed with acrylic medium on cloth. We will explore the different characteristics of various fabrics, such as linen, cotton, silk, sheers, and synthetics as well as pre-printed fabrics. We will also explore a wide range of media, such as oil and chalk pastels, coloured pencils, metallic paints and inks, and collage materials. These will be used in both the initial and subsequent layers.

Participants will go home with a number of pieces of fabric ready for use as contemporary book covers – either hard or soft. A number of papers and book cloths will be available for study and inspiration during the workshop.

Length: 2-5 days
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Materials Fee: $ 40.00 per participant for 2-3 day course
$50.00 per participant for 4-5 day course

Supply List:

Basic Materials (To be provided by participants):
• An assortment of “mark-making” tools (scrapers, adhesive applicators, palette knives, ceramic marking tools, kitchen utensils, rubber stamps, etc)
• Several plastic spoons and/or mixing sticks
• Apron and/or old clothes and gloves
• 2-3 small sponges, 1 large one
• l-gal. ice cream bucket
• Several small yogurt containers or equivalent with lids
• Tray to move the paste to your work stations
• Assortment of ½” – 4” brushes (from hardware store)
• Paper towels
• Pen, pencil, notebook/sketchbook, eraser
• Utility knife or mat knife
• Scissors
• Ruler, cutting board

Optional Materials/Techniques (To be provided by students):
• Oil pastels and/or Shiva Paintsticks (metallics if possible)
• Colored pencils
• Stencils/ stencil brushes, Mylar to create your own templates
• Rubber stamps (with simple large designs)

Support Materials:
• Paper: Will be provided for initial exercises
• Cloth: A sampler kit will be provided

Added Support Materials for 4-5 Day Course: (To be provided by students)
• Paper : Bring more if you have. Many different kinds and sizes of paper can be used. The only requirement is that the papers must hold together when dipped in water –avoid papers such as newsprint, manila, tissues, many Japanese papers. Patterned papers, old prints or drawings, etc. make excellent backgrounds for the wheat paste.
• Cloth: A wide range of fabrics can be used. Extra fabrics can be patterned or plain, should be a medium shirt weight, and fairly tightly woven.) If you like semi-rigid covers, also bring extra metre of 10 oz. artists’ canvas.

Additional Required Supplies: (To be provided by Organizing Committee)
• Large sheets of cartridge/drawing paper for introductory exercises (6 sheets per student, each approx. 12” x 18”)
• 20 pieces of 6 mil vapour barrier (from Hardware store) per student, each piece approx. 16” x 30”, + several extra for teacher demos.
• Oil pastels and/or Shiva Paintsticks (metallic ones if possible)
• Metallic and/or regular markers (regular thickness)
• Iridescent Acrylic Medium
• Matte Medium: 1,500 mL for 2-3 day course
• 2,000 mL for 4-5 day course
• A MINIMUM Setacolor Transparent Fabric Paints in 250 mL jars: (for 2-3 day course: (Other brands of acrylics can also be used)
13 Buttercup
24 Cardinal Red
49 Fuschia
12 Ultramarine Blue
11 Cobalt Blue
30 Turquoise
28 Moss Green
19 Black Lake

ADDITIONAL jars of 250 mL Setacolor Transparent Fabric Paints: (for 4-5 day course): (Other brands of acrylics can also be used)
17 Lemon Yellow
21 Bright Orange
26 Vermilion
29 Parma Violet
15 Emerald Green
18 Pernod Yellow
14 Velvet Brown
A selection of the Setacolor Metallics and/or Shimmer paints (45 mL bottles)

Classroom Requirements:

• Large enough space to lay out many pieces of wet papers and cloths
• Easy access to water source/sinks, etc.
• Drying racks (or coat racks with wire coat hangers) and clothes pins for hanging wet papers
• A roll of plastic to cover floor/tables under all painted clothes/papers
• 2 large trays to soak papers – e.g. wallpaper trays, the long translucent storage containers that measure 16” x 33” x 6”, or equivalent
• Ample workspace for each participant (2/table)
• Communal cutting board, ruler and rotary cutter
• 2-3 extra tables for supplies and samplers
• A “teaching space” comprised of a table and demo space for me with an extra set of chairs around it for participants.
• An easel with a pad of paper and/or a chalk board for demonstrations
• 4 one-gallon containers with lids (ice cream buckets) (To be used by the nstructor to make the wheat paste recipes the night before the course begins)

Instructor Will Provide:

• Prepared Wheat Pastes + recipes
• Sample collection of “mark-making tools” for demos & use by students
• Some of the optional materials/technique list – to be determined in discussion with the sponsoring organization
• Samples kits of various fabrics (10-15 pieces, each 12" x 24" or 10" x 20")
• Design boards (Shipping expenses covered by organizing committee)
• Pellon sheets for semi-rigid cover constructions