the idea: use PVA to prime a canvas and then paint designs directly onto the color of the yarn

Using PVA to prime my knitted canvases was actually an idea Katherine Vetne suggested during the January art critique.  I have been experimenting with different ways of painting on knitting, wanting to move past the white gesso.  The problem with using white gesso is that it neutralizes the knitting when I want the knitting to be included in the end piece.

Clear gesso really isn’t clear anymore once you use the number of coats that I have to use to stiffen my knitting so I had to find something else.

Katherine’s suggestion of using PVA was perfect, apart from how quickly I used up an entire expensive bottle.  It dried clear, stiff, and ready to be painted on.  What with my recent experiments in combining my doodles with my abstract paintings, I thought that I would start this canvas with the doodles themselves.

I’m only a half an hour of work in but it promises to be interesting!