I am a silk painter, and recently moved to the beautiful Oregon Coast from Wyoming. I grew up in the South and have lived in various regions of the United States. Florence is a wonderful community I feel fortunate to call “home”.
Before I began silk painting, I was working with stained glass and pastels.
I love color. It makes me happy, and that is something that I hope to communicate through my work – even the abstract scarves I paint. Each one is created with the wish that someone will feel beautiful and confident when they put it on.
When I paint, whether it’s a flying pig in space, something from nature or a madonna, I hope to make a connection with the person who will view the work that will make their day better in some way. It is so much fun, and I have so much joy in doing it!! I do hope that comes through.
My inspiration comes from nature, my family and friends and the world around me. I believe that laughter really is the best medicine, and in that way humor is very inspiring to me.
The silk painting technique I use is called the gutta serti (“rubber fence”) method. Here’s the process: If the piece is objective, I will create a line drawing on paper using pencil and markers. I prepare the silk by washing and ironing the fabric. Next, I lay the silk on top of my line drawing and trace the lines using a vanishing marker or pencil. I stretch the silk onto a frame (like needlework is done) and draw over the lines with resist, creating the “rubber fence” that will stop the dyes from bleeding through when I paint. After that dries, I paint the silk using protein reactive dyes. When it dries completely I let it “sit” for a day, then set the dyes using steam. Depending on the design, the work is complete in 2-3 days.
I hope you enjoy my work!
