Since I first experienced the thrill of painting on silk 20 years ago, I have been on an incredibly exciting journey. Even though I had been an artist experienced in the medium of watercolor and oils, nothing compared to the joyful experience of painting on silk. I have chosen to work in an impressionistic style on Chinese Habotai silk, using a French technique called "serti", whereby I draw directly on the silk, which has been stretched tightly on a wooden frame. I use a gold resistant substance called "gutta" to quickly sketch an abstract or impressionistic drawing, working quickly to keep the fluidity of the medium and the feeling of movement within the piece I have chosen. This metallic "gutta" substance once dried, restricts or inhibits the flow of dye, which I apply with a variety of watercolor brushes. My very favorite brush is a special "mop" brush which holds a lot of dye, but also has a point which enables me to do large areas as well as small details. This allows me to work without having to change brushes, thereby keeping the piece "flowing" even more.
While many artists prefer to "paint within the lines;" I prefer to allow the dye to flow outside the drawn lines, allowing accidents. These add to the originality and beauty of the piece, thereby producing a truly original painting. I believe each painting has only one life. Therefore repeating a painting cannot produce the same result as the original. (Just as there are no two identical snowflakes or fingerprints!)
After the piece is completed, it is steamed for one to two hours in a professional steamer to set the dyes. Often during this time, the painting takes on an even deeper, more vibrant color and tone. Sometimes an apparent accident (water or moisture getting on the silk) changes the painting into something even better! From the initial inspiration (a flower, shell, landscape or model), to the beautiful, vibrant, almost living piece, there are several steps, all of which involve a unique, dynamic and fluid technique, which allows the end result to be a truly one-of-a-kind work of art, whether worn as clothing or framed and enjoyed in the home or office.
Silk
The silk used is 100% Habotai silk, a luxurious, lightweight and soft silk which best suites my particular style of painting and unique techniques. The scarves have hand-rolled edges. The dyes are of the highest quality, nontoxic, and will not run. They can be hand washed and ironed or dry-cleaned. The hand painted scarves and clothing are soft and luxurious and the paintings have pure, undiluted color with unmatched vibrancy.
They have been said to have the feeling of movement, which is hard to create using traditional mediums and technique. The larger scarves can be worn as evening wraps and the smaller scarves can be worn in a number of ways, as scarves and sashes. The hand painted dresses and tops are truly "wearable art". They have been designed and painted individually by the artist/designer. They are soft, luxurious and truly one-of-a-kind wearable works of art.
Silk Painting - Philosophy and Technique