I purchased 1/2 yard each of 100% cotton and two different types of linens to experiment on. My plan was to explore various textile-altering methods and see how they reacted on the fabrics. This would provide another dimension, color, and texture for the surface ground.

Several techniques were tried using the acrylic paint: Wet on wet, wet on dry, dripping, splattering, and spraying with water. The acrylic actually flattened out the appearance of the ground and did nothing for the graphite. Tea staining was ok, but I couldn't seem to achieve the gradations of color that I was looking for. The rusting process was more involved and required a 24 hour processing time, but it was worth the wait. I loved the result; its richness and depth was exciting. In addition, I felt I had more control over where the coloring would appear across a 3 1/2 length of fabric.

Working on linen lent itself to an interesting aged look, and in the future I will consider it for other projects. But for this particular one, I've decided to go with the 100% cotton. Through the process of playing with the paints, teas, etc., a different concept began to emerge. I'm going to have to completely rewrite my artist statement...