The love of silk

As I take hold of my scissors and make that first snip in the measured, scoured silk, I am shaking in anticipation. I pull the silk apart in a straight tear from the first cut and hear that musical rip. Almost like the silk is singing for joy, knowing it soon will have dye to quench it’s thirst. I place each edge of the silk along the wooden frame and attach the stretch claws into the silk, allowing the elastic to pull it tight. With each claw from one side of the frame to the other, I weave back and forth until all sides of the frame are tight with the silk. The silk shimmers as it is held tight waiting for the first drop of resist and then I begin. Line by line I draw out my pattern, and as the resist sinks into the silk it dries as a solid barrier to hold in the dye. I wait in anticipation for the resist to dry, all the while mixing my dye colours near. Making the silk quiver with envy and want. Then the moment has come, I hold my brush over the silk and let it touch the silk ever so gently. The dye races along each thread and tries to reach beyond the resist lines with no success. It flows along the edge of the resist hoping to continue but it is cut short by the defined resist pattern. Each drop of dye held in its confined place is left to dry. Then as I bring yet another brush over it the two colours mix and create another. The silk is happy to be so wet and alive. I will let it dry and then steam it over hot water to set the dye in. A simple washing by hand will remove the resist and leave crisp white lines because the dye has been set and the silk cannot move it. I will add quilt batting and fabric and sew some quilt stitches along those crisp white lines. To create depth and define that which the silk helped to design. There is a canvas waiting to be covered and put on display. A silk that is coloured, quilted and stretched over the canvas beneath will be proudly watching people pass and say it is wonderful thing. The silk is complete and though it doesn’t know the picture it holds, the audience sees it and marvels at such a blend of colour and design.

I have been a crafter all my life, thanks to my mom. She was always creating something, learning a new technique, teaching the ladies at church a new craft to sell at the bazaar. She would always get my brother and I to help with some assembly line project to put in the next craft show or bazaar. I think it made her happy to know she was creating things that made others smile. She loved hearing shoppers ooh ahh over things as they wandered through the sales. I think that is where my passion started. I learned how to paint in art school and when I was taught how to transfer those skills into dying silk I was mesmerized by the whole process. Painting with dye on silk is like watching the silk come alive with each stroke of the brush. Silk is a very thirsty fabric and it will keep taking the dye, drawing through itself over and over, mixing with each colour. Coming alive with each passing of the brushes. Without some form of resistance blocking the dye, silk will let the dye keep going along each strand of thread until it hits a point of resistance or until the dye dries and can flow no longer.

I use a liquid resist that will wash out easily afterwards. This allows me to control the dye and form the water colour effects. I can also add dye to the resist before applying and it becomes part of the painting. Instead of leaving clear lines when the resist is washed out it is lines of colour adding to the whole effect.

I can easily lose track of time while working with the silk and become so focused I forget everything else around me. When I think of my happy place, it is me with a paint brush in hand and a new piece of scoured silk stretched out on a frame, thirstily waiting for the dye to touch it. From start to finish I am absorbed into the whole process. Techniques of creating effects like salt on the wet silk or isopropyl alcohol to create highlights, thrill me. So when I am able to incorporate several of these into a piece I am giddy with anticipation to get started. Just writing about it is making me happy. When I am done painting and steaming a piece and it is finished drying after being hand washed, I love to iron out the silk and watch it shimmer in the light as each wrinkle and crease disappear. Silk is my favourite fabric and I am always drawn to it. I love to touch it, iron it, sew with it and especially wear it. My absolute favourite thing to do with silk though, is quilt it and stretch it over a canvas and then hang it on a wall. To me it is more than a painting. This way it is part of the room and partly alive as it draws your eye to it and over the stitches, crevices and curves. Silk sparkles when light hits it just right. Colours can change slightly with lighting too. Unlike paintings silk won’t hold the dust either. Just pat the painting and your dusting is done.

I was asked to give talks on the process and demonstrations at events during my final year at college. I was so happy to be able to share my passion and inspire others to try. I find it hard to not talk about it when people were gathered around my work, watching the dye be absorbed by the silk. Like my mother, I love hearing the oohs and ahhs from the crowd.

Some of my other works can be seen and purchased on Etsy. I would love to hear your oohs and ahhs, so don’t hesitate to reach out. https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/DiverseMom?ref=profile_header