This class is for ALL LEVELS from beginners to experienced artists that want to explore a vibrant new art media. Participants will delight in the beautiful flow of luminous dye colors on silk. Students will use professional vibrant dyes and wax resist and gutta techniques to create silk paintings on a 22” square silk.

No drawing skills necessary, you will still come away with a beautiful piece of artwork.

Details:
Paint a 22” silk square with professional dyes and traditional resist techniques for fine art wall hangings or wearable art scarves. This class is appropriate for all levels of ability from beginner (drawing skills not required) to experienced artists that want to explore a vibrant new art media.

Students will use an applicator bottle with a fine line tip to outline motifs on silk to create a barrier to control the flow of dye. Dyes will be applied in a controlled but flowing way onto silk that has been stretched taut and suspended on a frame.

The class will cover the basics of color mixing and color theory with the use of acid dyes that chemically bond to the silk for wash fastness. Students will be guided in laying out designs and images to create pleasing a composition. Drawing skills are not required. Students may use available templates to create various layouts of images.

Techniques will be introduced including salt textures, soy wax batik and thickened dye to create various effects. Students will have the option of using a variety of templates such as shells, flowers, birds, and decorative motifs to create a painting layout.

Students will also have the option to sketch out a design from personal reference materials. Students should bring bold black line work simple sketches on white paper as reference materials if they don’t want to use templates available in class. Silk paintings are steamed in a professional steamer by the instructor in her home studio. This process bonds permanently the dyes to the silk in a molecular level for wash fastness. Finished paintings may be wearable art tied around the neck or displayed as wall hangings as tapestries or mounted on stretched canvas with acrylic medium as a traditional painting format.

Please wear protective clothing to class because dyes stain clothing. Also please bring a roll of paper towels as well as disposable gloves.

Materials fee for 8 week class is $30 (payable to the instructor in cash at the first class). This includes all the supplies needed to paint one 22” silk square. Students will likely complete additional pieces. There is a fee of $8.00 for each additional 22” silk square or $10 for silk measuring 11”x60”. The silk has a rolled hem.