Kelling colours - inspiration in India!
The colourful paintwork on the Patrika Gate, Jaipur
Last month we were privileged to have a fabulous trip to Jaipur, which allowed us to observe the delicate architecture, gloriously painted murals and to talk and work with local craftsmen, including block printers, jewellery and furniture makers.
Block printing is a well-established Indian art, of which Jaipur is a centre of excellence. We visited a number of workshops where we learnt about the various steps in the process, and had a chance to design patterns using Kelling blocks for ourselves.
The process starts with treating the cotton fabric to remove starch from it and to make it suitable for printing. Thousands of metres of fabric rolls are passed through various liquids to get a soft and suitable fabric which will then be dyed and printed on.
Firstly the cotton is washed to remove starch.
The long strips of fabric are then hung up to dry on tall scaffolding frames - the workshop team are so adept at climbing up and laying out to hang them flat over the bamboo frames.
Hanging the raw cotton sheets out to dry on bamboo scaffolding
Then there is intricate carving of the blocks themselves - complex designs are drawn onto blocks of ‘Sheesham’ wood and the various patterns are considered. Many require patterns to be built up in sequence and then precisely layered on top. This layering creates a depth that can be played with using multiple colour blends creating a more complex design. Alternatively you may prefer the simplicity of one or two tone patterns.
Blocks are valued assets and are divided into parts to enable layering of colours and pattern
Once the colours are confirmed the paint is mixed carefully in measured parts using natural dyes (Kelling products are chemical free and therefore once made up need to be used within 24 hours). These are poured into smaller square tubs with hessian which are then scraped to ensure an even distribution of paint. The carved blocks are dipped in the hessian based tubs ready to be stamped on the cloth - usually cotton or linen.
Preparing the paints and the block ready for printing
The cloth is laid out on long tables and pinned down so that it holds fast as the blocks used are not big and so pattern repeats need to be carefully lined up. Skilled craftsmen work swiftly dipping the blocks in the hessian tubs, checking the consistency and distribution of paint and then carefully measuring the block positioning to align on the cloth. They apply pressure with a slam of their hand and then carefully lift the block off and repeat, and repeat, and repeat.
Considering colours and spacing is all part of the intricacy of the design.
An test of our ‘Alotoblots’ in a new blue colour way
Block printing - lining up the stripes!
Throughout our trip we wandered around the historic city if Jaipur visiting food and flower markets where we soaked up the pinks and oranges, greens and teals - a hallmark of our Kelling colour palate with combinations that were truly inspiring. Watch this space for fresh ideas evolving…
Kelling Designs team in Jaipur