Koloron

Street Art pops up in Birmingham

2010-06-18T14:26:00.007+02:00

There are many who believe that there is ‘no time like the present’ but very few who use the idea for a wall painting. Debra Hall and the community Arts Group at Saint Martins have done just that.

Saint Martins is central to Birmingham’s the famous Bullring. No surprise that a bull features strongly, other landmarks will be quickly recognized and the theme exhibits the energy and live that floods through this inner city area.

The group of artists came together especially for this project. Feedback Debra received has only been from those directly involved with the project and from members of the public who stopped to observe the mural's painting on April 9th. However the artists gave really positive remarks in regards to the success of the project overall, and each have expressed a wish to work on something again in the future.

Spectators were quietly captivated watching the process.

No Time Like The Present from Charles Mapleston on Vimeo.

Colour and culture, faith and beliefs are constantly examined in Saint Martins rapidly developing community. Which colour and why? You will have to ask Debra and the other artists who painted intensively for the day.

Shortly to be relocated to the Church of St Martins you will able to inspect it for yourself if you get to Birmingham.

Debra Hall lead artist and Fiona Spence a mural artist were supported by Faye Binnell a student of Visual Arts and Artists Natalie Rix, Jane English and Roman Hvizdak. You can email Debra at mail2debra@btinternet.co

Wall Art is giving many people the opportunity to express ideas and emotions that are tied up with their lives. A release or a celebration it matters not, it’s down to the message that it carries.

Koloron are happy to provide materials to artists and schools for similar projects. email mailbox@koloron.com with your ideas

Saint Martin's Arts: Develop creative and performance work, utilising St Martin's Church in the Bull Ring, Birmingham as a significant venue. The aim is to provide opportunities for art audiences, individuals and other suitable collaborators to create or share creative experiences that link the arts with spirituality. Contact Collin Wallace Project Officer Collin@bullring.org

Debra Hall, Lead Artist work centres on community arts and community education.

Take a look at Debra’s site www.getsmartthroughart.co.uk

Koloron Art Fabric from ESPO

2010-02-22T11:17:00.001+01:00

Koloron Art Fabric from ESPO

We are pleased to inform UK users of Koloron Art Fabric that they can now buy from ESPO.

Local Authorities including LEA Schools together with Charities, the volunteer Sector and other qualifying commercial organisations that trade with ESPO are now able to buy Koloron direct.

Koloron large rolls and Mini rolls are held in stock and appear in both their printed and online catalogues.

Street Art and Koloron, a new project.

2010-02-22T10:46:00.003+01:00

How to save thousands of Street Art images every year

Throughout 2010 Koloron are inviting UK Artists and Art Groups to enter creative ideas for an exciting project. We at Koloron know there are a lot of talented Artists looking for large spaces to paint their work. A big wall painting is great but is often not appreciated by the person who owns the wall. On many occasions the work is remarkable but because it is seen as graffiti they are lost when the Local Authority has a clean up. Now there is a solution.

Line the wall with Koloron Art Fabric so it can be rolled it up and displayed again somewhere else. Art will never be lost and can always be exhibited again where and when it is wanted.

And here is the real benefit. If we like your creative ideas we will show up on the day to film the painting as it goes up. We will pay for the materials and make a short film of it for the Internet.

If it’s good and makes a news worthy point we will do our best to get the Artist and the film media attention. In one short jump an Artist can go from unappreciated and anonymous to media celebrity.

There will shortly be more details on our Website about how to submit ideas together with how the process works. Visit www.koloron.eu

Jane has a go at the Four Elements with Koloron

2010-02-12T11:40:00.009+01:00

Jane Bower got one hundred Year 5 children to consider the Elements. Hardwick Middle School in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk set to work creating a number of 4ft square panels. One for each of the Classic Elements.

According to Empedocles, Greek philosopher, scientist and healer, all matter is comprised of four "roots" or elements. Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Well it was the fifth century B.C.

However Koloron Art Fabric turned its hand to a creative interpretation. Working with heat, water and a lot of colour the children had an inspiring time.

Thank you Jane and Year 5 from Bury, seems like a great workshop. One hundred?

You can reach Jane at jane-bower@ntlworld.com, workshop enquiries welcome

Materials that change with Heat.

2009-11-03T15:45:00.017+01:00

Workshops with Jane Bower

One of the many interesting qualities of Koloron Art Fabric is its reaction to heat. Like many materials it transforms in exciting ways, ways that can be creatively controlled, often with surprising results.

Heat and its effects on art materials is the subject of a workshop run by Jane Bower where she combines Art and Science and explores the results.

Intended for those teaching at KS1/2 the one-day workshop explains how to fire without a kiln, make objects by heating wax, wood and fabrics and the use of plant dyes. All classroom Health and Safety issues are fully covered, as is the importance of heat throughout history. Everybody will take away a wide range of examples and techniques. And will have had a brilliant day.
If you want to discuss details and availability of this and other courses please contact Jane direct; jane-bower@ntlworld.com all enquiries are welcome.

About Jane
The author of several books on practical art and drama she has thirty years experience of KS1/2 classroom advisory teaching in Art, Drama, Dance and Literacy in the UK. Her work includes trainee teachers at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Education. She also writes for Child Education and Junior Education and has a number of National Awards attributed to her.

Great Building

2009-10-20T12:35:00.014+02:00

This brilliant Prep School came into view as I rounded a corner a week ago. I was so struck with the cleverness of the design that I had to stop and take a few pictures to share the experience.

It's called Colour Land and it's in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. And yes the bright sunshine does really help the colours to work on the imagination. Think what it must be like to be a kid who goes there. Fantastic.

I was blown away by the pencils that are in the walls, the relationship of the wonderfully bright colours that really go together so well and the irregular boxes that are the classes inside.

I don't know but may be you graduate from red to blue when your drawings get bigger and from green to orange when you've had another birthday.

It includes activity rooms for computer education, music, drama, television and a hall for physical activities. There is also a picnic area and an inner garden.

The school is offering education for children up to 6 both in English and Turkish and parents will be able to see their children at play and work via an Internet link.

That's creativity for you. Well done to whoever designed and built it and yes I wish I could go there. I wonder if they have supplies of Koloron?

Regards Mike

Block and Screen printing on Koloron Art Fabric

2009-09-24T15:42:00.003+02:00

After many questions about using Koloron Art Fabric for textile studies we have a few examples. Colourful aren’t they?

“For sheer versatility Koloron Art Fabric is exceptional, responding well to woodblock and lino as well as screen printing.” Says designer Carole Miles, whose work we show here.

Most emulsion-based inks work well and when it comes to embellishments with pens, pencils, metallic pastels and wax crayons the results are clean bright and easy to apply.

Koloron is light and easy to handle making it really great for experimental work, free of many of the practical considerations associated with woven fabric.

Design sample pieces can be produced easily to support sketchbook work and can also be made up for the camera. Stunning results in a short time.

And don’t forget about using a heat gun, more details on the Koloron web site www.koloron.com

Koloron Distributor for Germany

2009-09-24T11:42:00.007+02:00

Arnulf Betzold now serves the German market for Koloron Art Fabric and garments.

Based in Ellwangen, Betzold provide a fast mail order service across Northern Europe. Concentrating on supporting Education with an overnight delivery service they carry large stocks of over 10,000 product lines. Order lines are open from 7.30 – 18.00 Monday to Friday. Tel: 0800 90 80 90 80 Fax: 0800 70 80 70 80 Email: service@betzold.de

Their website is http://www.betzold.de/ search Koloron

Koloron at Pisces in Scotland

2009-08-24T14:11:00.004+02:00

In answer to Ted's query about Koloron Art Fabric in Scotland we are happy to put you in touch with Pisces Art in Glasgow. North of the border ring 0141 882 6336 and when south, they have an office in Crewe, ring 01270 849 001. Here is their website www.piscesart.co.uk We hope this helps.

Whilst you can always get the full range of Koloron products from us mail order increasingly Art shops and Art Materials suppliers are carrying them. The latest is Ruddocks of Lincoln. They are in the High Street at the foot of Steep Hill and are always happy to help. http://www.ruddocksoflincoln.co.uk/

Koloron Stockist in France

2009-07-27T13:46:00.006+02:00

We have had a request for the name of a Koloron stockist in France. Jennie you can buy Koloron from ColArt. They carry Koloron garments for Early Years under their Color & Co brand and Koloron Art Fabric by the roll, 1m x 5m roll and the larger 1.5m x 10m roll, under their famous Lefranc & Bourgeois label. So when you get there you'll still be able to paint those large images. Loved the cars by the way. Regards John

Creative Sari making

2009-05-05T12:06:00.006+02:00

Jane from Walsall has asked about Saris (is that correct, or is Sari a plural?) Anyway the answer is yes, kids have made Saris from Koloron before. This picture is some years old and was, I think, taken in Wales during one of our workshops. So Jane, please let us see your pictures when they are ready.

The results above are wonderful; the kids spent the day painting Koloron as part of a fabric design workshop. At the end, a number of pieces were worn as Saris. These two are quite tame compared to some of the designs. Painting the Koloron Art Fabric was the easy bit -wearing it is more difficult. I understand YouTube has demonstrations so we none of us have the excuse not to try Sari making.

It requires somewhere between four and nine metres of unstitched fabric to be a Sari and we recommend that you use the large 10 metre roll of Koloron. It will give you a single piece of Art Fabric - plenty large enough for an adult Sari or possibly enough for two child-sized Saris.

Having got the practical bit organised you can enjoy the creativity. Brush paint, rollers and even spray paint will cover the largest areas quickly leaving the details to be drawn on or printed. There are literally hundreds of ways of decorating Koloron, just make sure you use colour that will be flexible when dry. If you are using powder or ready mixed poster colour it is a good idea to add a little PVA to the mix as it will ensure you don't get dry colour flaking off.

Also you can apply the design to the Fabric with gel paints or glue and glitter. Most things stick to Koloron and of course it is easy to cut with scissors and there is no need to hem. Koloron doesn't fray.

If however you want to be traditional the following link will take you to the Diwali page of the Koloron website and has a number of images that will help you design your own fabric for the festival. http://www.koloron.com/pages/actmenu-index.html

Have a go.

Gill

Our thanks to Berol for the picture

Really loud Art Fabric

2009-01-19T12:20:00.006+01:00

Jonathan from outside Leicester said he had seen Koloron 'Flats' used in a demo against the building of an ECO TOWN close to where he teaches. Close to me too Jonathan. Anyway we were not aware of them being used to fight the proposed new town but I have pulled out a picture that has appeared in a Koloron leaflet we created for BEROL. It was a couple of years ago and shows school kids demonstrating. Perhaps not the most creative use of Art Fabric but effective nonetheless. I thought it was worth sharing.

The 'Flat' is particularly useful when demonstrating because it really gives a big area to write on and don't forget, it has two sides, a front and a back. And a Flat will also make a sandwich board. Simple wooden frames under each side and you have a lightweight and rigid pair of signs to get your message across.

One final thought on this subject worth passing on was the clever use of Flats as a background for a stage review I was invited to last summer. Six kids standing in a row became the backdrop. They had a pastoral scene painted on their backs and a seascape painted on their fronts. Stood with their backs to the audience when the curtain opened they spun around together to reveal the blue ocean. It got more than a round of applause.

All this said if you want to make a point paint a 'Top' with your message and put it over whatever you're wearing and get out there. Not enough of us say enough about our world.

Tabards take to the Catwalk

2009-01-19T11:22:00.010+01:00

Nice idea this and really affordable. This uses readymade Tabards. They cost £1.60 each. Ten of these, a little paint and a lot of creativity and you're in the Fashion Business. Really quickly too.

We see some wonderful examples of students working with Koloron, often they put in hours of work and our web site has plenty of examples to show. However time is not always a resource readily available, sometimes overnight results are required. Well here's an answer for young fashion wannabes.

An instant Collection.
A pack of Tabards is all it takes and in a few hours you have a catwalk parade to stun the audience. Models wear a black body and black leggings and a tabard painted with creative artwork. Strong bright colours, sharp vibrant shapes, textures and finishes. And it's out in front of your audience with your first Original Collection. Beat that for a red-letter day.

Dolce & Gabbana 2008 Fashion Week Collection

included a lot of hand painted fabrics, inspiration

enough for anybody who feels for paint, colour and life.

We went to London to visit the Queen

2009-01-13T10:10:00.008+01:00

Following on from the note about the Wall (see below) Steve sent this picture after a trip to London prompted the design of a mural. Penny is filling in with a big marker adding her contribution to the work 'What we saw in London'.

The kids were encouraged to sketch whilst there and to communicate their day to the rest of the school by producing a 60ft frieze that was taped along a corridor at school.

Steve from north London took a large roll of Art Fabric and split it down the centre, joined the ends together to arrive at a 60ft frieze. Starting with the begining of the day the children recreated the things they saw, with I suspect, Steve's guiding hand with the highlights.

Exciting stuff can we have more please, Mike

Koloron and the longest visitors book ever

2008-12-18T22:33:00.005+01:00

Brian from Brighton asked about using Koloron Art Fabric as a tablecloth to help celebrate a school's special dinner. We were able to tell him that a street party used the same idea for a Millennium bash, we never actually saw it but the description was exciting. Everybody writing down their take on the day.

What we can say we saw, however, was the idea of using Koloron as a visitor's book. The UK launch of Koloron at the British Museum in April 2000. Across the steps of the main entrance we set up a giant roll of Koloron and rolled it out across a run of trestle tables. Everybody who visited the event was given marker pens to record their presence at The Big Draw.

As the length across the table became full of markings, drawings and comments we pulled more out and rolled up the artwork at the other end. We believe we created the longest visitors book ever. We had over 143 metres filled with hundreds of records of the day.

Hope you have a great event Brian but it's going to have to be a major event if you are going to beat our record. 143 metres is long.

Koloron on Squidoo

2008-12-11T08:27:00.004+01:00

We have created a list of our Squidoo Lenses. Check it out following the link. So many creative ideas. Here is the link

Regards

Cornelia White

A really good offer – half price, no less

2008-12-10T10:45:00.005+01:00

Thank you Richard from Swanage we’re glad you made such good use of the offer.

If anybody else wants to take advantage of our over production there are still garments left.

If you are not up to speed on this we have been offering A sized Tops, Tabards and Flats at half price. It is due to a stocking error and they are without wrappings and we’re selling them in bundles of 50. The garments are fine and in excellent order and correctly labelled. They are just in bulk and will suit any store cupboard for creative 3-5 year olds.

Click on the offer button on our Home page www.koloron.com

Regards,

John

Koloron

Isn't this a great wall?

2008-12-09T21:09:00.003+01:00

Isn't this a great wall? I came across it in Barcelona in 2001 whilst on holiday. What I loved was the contributions made by such obviously different personalities. On the right hand side you can spot the influence of Picasso's Guernica.

Kids creativity is something we all love to see, trouble is it's not always in the most appropriate place. Yet a wall is a really good place to work. Urban artists think so too.

Koloron Art Fabric is one answer because it can be stretched and taped against a wall. Young artists can go mad and you can roll the work up and store it really simply. If you get your class to sign and date it first it becomes a great record. Taped up for all to see at a summer fete they're real talking points and because kids follow trends and fashions they are also historical records. Invite your lot to record a national event, perhaps their memories of the Olympics or paint a mural of the football crowd at a local game. Might even make the local paper.

Near where I live they want to build an Eco Town. I think I have enough to say to fill a 30ft x 5ft piece of Koloron.

John at Koloron, thanks Spain

Koloron in expert hands

2008-12-08T17:39:00.002+01:00

Serious stuff, Koloron Art Fabric starts to push the boundaries. In the hands of gifted people and those who understand the finer points of costume Koloron takes on a different face altogether. With this dress the fabric was first washed to give it a soft yielding texture. The designer padded pockets, collar and bodice to give an almost sculptured feel. Surely we should all agree it is a masterpiece. Then they painted it pink. Fantastic.

Be bold and paint big for Pantos

2008-12-08T16:59:00.002+01:00

Costumes need never be a problem again. This TOP was turned into a bright costume in about 15 minutes. Click on the picture and see it really close and you will see just how simple it is. It was one of eight school boys all slightly different and all on stage at the same time. Sleeves were added and short trousers too. The effect was electric when they came out and the house fell about.

That's show biz.

Feeling your way when working with Koloron, paint and heat

2008-11-16T16:35:00.004+01:00

Having worked with Koloron for a few years I see it differently from people who have not experienced the adaptable nature of this unique material.

My pleasure starts when I run my hands over its surface. It feels like a quality watercolour paper and thoughts turn to brushes and flowing paint. Big brushes filled to the point of overload, dripping large blobs of pure bright colour over the brilliant white surface.

What one can't do with watercolour paper is to grab a handful and crunch it up and then flatten it out again. With Koloron you can and you're left with a pattern of lines and creases, a change of texture and the beginnings of 3D working. Do the same thing with an area coloured bright red and the uniqueness of this fabric starts to reveal itself. Unlike paper Koloron will tolerate any amount of folding, creasing, gathering, ruching and wringing. You can even crochet strips of Koloron, weave with it and plait it into ropes. And you can choose to colour it before or after you've started the creative process.

Martin Charles* the Haute Couture designer working near Northampton UK said " I started by using Koloron for pattern making. The Art Fabric is exceptionally strong and unlike paper can be modelled on the stand before cutting the pattern out. Furthermore it doesn't tear or fray, qualities that make it ideal for this purpose. My next step was creating designs. I found the Art Fabric stitched easily and could be gathered, pleated or simply draped. And it could be moulded, wired and bonded to make structured clothes such as a fitted jacket" And that was before he got going with colour.

I find if you use a flexible paint that will not crack when the fabric is flexed you can colour the work when it is nearing completion. Alternatively using a heavy polyurethane spray will ensure the fabric doesn't flex. This way you get the fluid nature of fabric transfixed permanently in the shape you have created. Start to mix colour, varnishes and heat and the character of Koloron changes again.

Martin said "Acrylic, emulsion and spray paint all cover well. The paint doesn't seep through the fabric. Glue and glitter are just as successful. A completely different effect was achieved by ironing a colour photocopy onto the Art Fabric. As the heat of the iron melted the Art Fabric the colours from the photocopy showed through".

A heat gun will open up even more possibilities. Koloron Art Fabric becomes completely transformed and becomes a moulding medium that draws colour into a 3D composition.

Art Fabric can be all things to all artists whether they are greeting card designers, scenery builders or are looking to hang in the Tate Gallery. Koloron has excitement in store for all of them.

John Winter
Head of Art, Koloron Ltd

* Martin Charles owns the 'No Shrinking Violets' label www.noshrinkingviolets.co.uk

Costumes made easy and inexpensive

2008-11-15T09:34:00.012+01:00

This picture has become something of an icon to us and for Koloron Art Fabric. The costumes are taken from a stage production of 'Alice' and they represent about the quickest and cheapest way of dressing kids for a school panto.

The costumes were created by David Bacon who lived, at the time, near Market Harborough in Leicestershire UK. He had spent his life working in art studios and is a father of two. A great supporter of his girls and their school and a bit of a talent as his work shows.

From a distance these costumes are perfect, get up close and you can see how simple they are. Take Alice herself. A single bright blue brush trail says it all. Bright yellow fills in the spaces around her apron. It took a Koloron Tabard and about 15 minutes to do. Time and cost were nothing, the imagination was everything.

The 'Mad Hatter' is also a Tabard and what looks like trousers is simply clever brushwork again. But stand back and it looks better than a week of needlework and lot of angst. The Knave took longer plus a hunt for a pack of playing cards for reference.

The lesson from David is "keep it simple, keep it bright" .Until the arrival of Art Fabric none of this was possible because fabric just doesn't act like paper and paper isn't strong enough to wear. Now almost everything is possible and Koloron Art Fabric is changing many school productions. Today you will find it in many schools and on amateur and professional stages. Wonderful things have been created with it, costumes and scenery. Compare Alice with the girl below, both are Koloron and paint. Fun isn't it?

At Koloron we keep photographs that people send us and one day we'll put up a gallery, so if you would like to see your work there get out the camera and send us your pictures please. http://www.koloron.com/ mark them gallery.

Mike with thanks to David Bacon.
Koloron Ltd

An amazing coat of many colours

2008-11-13T23:04:00.011+01:00

This stunning coat is a fabulous project that crosses many disciplines, from art and design to drama, then with a little lateral thinking history and geography. This creation by Sue Backhouse draws its inspiration from many sources yet uses traditional skills to produce.

Having cut the Koloron Art Fabric into the panels from which the coat is to be constructed the design was traced down and painted with acrylics. Once the colour was dry the design was stitched and quilted. The large motifs were free stitched with gold thread. Finally the coat was made up and lined with purple silk. A work of Art and a triumph for imagination.

I have stood in front of it spellbound, gazing into the colours and the dazzling patterns and I can't describe what it's like to wear. Fabulous!

Gill from the Koloron team

Did you know you could crochet with Koloron?

2008-11-13T22:37:00.010+01:00

It was a new idea for us until Jill Alblas showed us what she had achieved. She cut Koloron into strips and worked them with a crochet hook. The end result was a bag that not only is something to be proud of but an accessory that can be colour matched to anything she wants to pair it with.

Koloron is hard wearing and when crocheted is particularly tough. The textured surface is exciting and will take any type of colour, brushed or sprayed, flat or stencilled shapes, images or the full works with glitter and panache. Any size too, again, the limit is the imagination.

Mike and thank you Jill

Using Wire with Koloron

2008-11-13T10:52:00.012+01:00

Ted and Debbie run workshops in Sussex and wanted to know how best to create shapes with Koloron, we talked about using wire to give shape to Koloron Art Fabric structures.

Modelling wire comes in many gauges and you can select that which best suits the project. Costumes requiring soft support as in the case of high standing collars and exaggerated lapels and pockets will not need the heavy gauges needed for lamp shades and other rigid structures.

The lighter gauges of wire can be trapped in a fold of Koloron and stuck or sewn in position whereas the heavy gauges are better taped and the Koloron sewn or glued securely. Mesh can also be useful, as can plastic hoops and ribs for some costumes like Chinese dragons that are almost freestanding. In all these cases the costume or structure is usually made in the 'white' and painted afterwards.

The lamp shade shown here was designed by Alison Couchman* and the choice of paints, opaque and transparent, was determined by the light shining through the Koloron fabric. The giant flower also by Alison, was created by bending modelling wire into petal shapes and sandwiching them between two pieces of glued Koloron.

There are so many ways of adding shape to your work and we have articles about fashion and garments on our main website, http://www.koloron.com/. Hope they help or you can ask questions here and we'll do our best to answer them with examples.

Ian

The Koloron Team

* Alison runs many workshops including some using Koloron Art Fabric.

Masks made from Koloron Art Fabric

2008-11-13T10:36:00.005+01:00

John from Swindon wanted tips on creating masks, here's what we suggested:

The basics of using Koloron for any form of head wear is to consider the structure and the decoration as two separate issues. The fit of a mask or a hat is fundamental and care should be taken to ensure that the structure is strong and comfortable for the wearer.

The structure also has to carry the decoration so a little thought given at the outset is worth a lot later in the process. For a hat a skullcap is usually ideal whereas a mask requires a 'balaclava' approach.

Koloron is best sewn for those projects; the Art Fabric is strong and comfortable to wear as it breathes. Once the structure is in place you can get creative.

A head mannequin is ideal if you have one, if not a short roll of corrugated card will do. You need to work in the round to apply your decoration and colour and don't forget to keep standing away from your work to gauge the effect you are creating. Be bold and use bright colours for a stunning look.

Work done for the stage need not be as carefully finished as fashion work and the opportunities can be much greater, for example the mask for Oberon was designed by Jane Bower and goes beyond the catwalk. Jane saw the project as a work of complete fantasy and gave freedom to her imagination. She created the structure by heating and shrinking Koloron around a wire frame. The heating gave form and texture before the holes were cut for the eyes and mouth.

Acrylic paint and oil pastels were applied to give colour and accentuate features, and then beads and sequins were added. Finally pieces of Koloron were torn and frayed to produce some soft fibrous edges. I think you'll agree she has a stunning result.

Mike
The Koloron team

Crazy wigs made from Koloron

2008-11-12T16:08:00.010+01:00

Clare teaches in Sutton and helps out with an amateur dramatics group, she asked us about crazy wigs - here is part of her answer:

Pre-painted Koloron cut into strips on a cutting board starts the process of wig making. Use a sharp modelling knife and a steel straight edge to produce strips about 10mm wide. Again, from Koloron, shape a skullcap that fits the head tightly and covers the top of the head, seam the cap from front to back.

Lay the cap flat and start by applying the individual strips to the cap with PVA. Applying the strips to the cap pointing upwards rather than downwards will help the hair spring out of the head and hide the fixing.

Apply the strips in ove lapping rows working from the crown to the ears. Ensure all strips point upwards. As you apply each row you will partly cover the preceding row.

When you wear the cap the strips will cascade over the head and can be styled, tied and further coloured. Any colour, any style and as crazy as you like Clare.

On to hats. Again the best way to proceed is with a skullcap to which anything can be affixed, PVA or stitching, both techniques work equally well. We have had some wonderful creations from fashion students using feathers and spray paint, one that used the fallen leaves from a chestnut tree and one that was a fully decorated Christmas tree with lights. How about that. Anybody anything better? And of course there is always Halloween

Mike, at the Koloron team

Making Screens with Koloron

2008-11-12T15:54:00.005+01:00

Colin from a Primary School in Dorset asked us about Screens, this was how we answered:

A simple wooden frame or screen is what you need, any size, Koloron can be stretched and stapled and the resulting screen can be really useful on the stage or in the classroom.

The translucency of Koloron Art Fabric can be used to good effect and even enhanced by lighting from behind.

Back Lighting. Colour that is transparent will create a stained glass window effect and strips or shapes of opaque paper can be glued to the surface. Opaque paint can create wonderful effects when images are painted on the screen leaving areas that are in-filled with transparent colour.

Whole stage sets can be created by investing in simple frames that can be recovered and decorated for each production. Stage sets can be created by alternating with back lit and front lit frames to create endless effects and atmospheres.

Front Lighting. Koloron will take most paints, sprayed or brushed and high gloss surfaces can be created. With care wooden screens stretched with Koloron can easily be painted to appear as metal walls, wood grained to look like wood panelling or sprayed to look like concrete and then graffiti added to create the urban car park.

The opportunities are endless; instead of paint try glue and then adding bling in the form of glitter and reflective foils. Lighting the face of these screens will give them the solid feel that belies their light weight.The use of heat guns will create some very unusual effects. Stretch Koloron over the frame and disolve the surface with the heat gun. Now apply a second skin of Koloron and back light. The use of colour during this process really opens up the creative opportunities.

Colin's next stop is Hollywood.

Ian, the Koloron team

Koloron updated all their pages on Squidoo

2008-06-16T09:26:00.002+02:00

Koloron has upgraded many of it's resources pages on Squidoo. If you have never heard of this free social networking website, there is a comprehensive help file at http://www.squidoo.com/creating-lenses

Stay tuned to this Koloron Blog for more information shortly.

Koloron launch ArtSack, the green bag

2008-04-19T11:34:00.012+02:00

An environmentally green bag made from Koloron material that can be painted and customised. More details on the updated European Koloron Website.