Autumn Rose Chintz

The last show of roses in my autumn garden was a visual I wanted to remember.  My painting evolved and changed as I worked on it.  The title, Autumn Rose Chintz was inspired by my interests in fabrics.  Chintz fabric has a history entwined with vibrant colours, flowers, nature and process.  I wanted to create a memory that shared a similar history to chintz.

I started with a large piece of raw canvas.  First I primed the canvas with 3 coats of clear gesso.  I wanted to keep the integrity of plain fabric.  I then stained the canvas with a coloured wash. My intent was to let layers of colours show through.  

Chintz is a cotton textile that emerged from India in the 16th century, featuring colourful, woodblock-printed, painted, glazed, or stained designs,  on a pale or plain white cotton background with a smooth, glossy, and glazed finish.   Like roses, Chintz is known for its vibrancy, intricacy, and resilience. 

I then did large gestural drawings with willow charcoal on the canvas.

I used a fixative to keep the charcoal mark making permanent.  My intent is to let the marks show thru the layers. 

Chintz is typically printed with large, intricate, and vibrant floral or geometric patterns.

When  I got to this stage I had big decisions to make in the composition of the painting.  I wanted to simplify and keep the vibrant colours.

Now I have to make decisions on how to crop and stretch the final canvas.

The polished sheen of chintz is created by pressing cotton through rollers or applying resin. 

Chintz designs evoke a cheerful mood. They offer a freshness and charm, especially when printed on a clean, ivory ground.