SKY FEN SILK DESIGN
I design, draw and hand paint batik silk scarves. The hot wax batik method I use gives each design a flow and immediacy from the speed of working . Every wax line and mark is permanent and there are no corrections possible so every idiosyncrasy of movement of my hand, the flow of the wax and spread of the dye is captured. I think of each piece as a journey in creativity, none are perfect or reproducible and each in its own way is unique. However the designs are repeatable and I often make more than one version of each. I think of my scarves as wearable Art. They are so versatile and can be worn as a shawl or as a neck scarf for both casual and formal events. There is a natural elegance from wearing a silk scarf and they complement and complete any outfit.
INSPIRATION
Each of my scarves takes about five days to draw and paint. The design work often takes much longer. Usually something visual will trigger an idea. I make many of the designs fit the shape of the shoulders so the image makes sense as the scarf wraps around the body and so the two dimensional scarf becomes a three dimensional surface with a story to tell. My ideas and stories come from many sources. I live in the wide open Cambridgeshire Fens next to a reed-lined river. This landscape is arable with few trees and is dominated by huge skies populated with many birds: waterfowl, birds of prey and grassland and hedgerow birds too. These are my first sights in the morning and also the most immediate influence on my designs. However I'm also influenced by the call of the sea, the shore and hills and art heritage of my childhood home: the Isle of Man and its fantastical myths and creatures. And from there to here by all I have seen and read of history, culture, science and nature.
BATIK
I use a batik method and draw the design in hot wax onto a stretched silk scarf using a traditional tjanting. This is a small spouted copper vessel on a wooden handle which is repeatedly dipped into a pot of liquid wax. The wax cools rapidly as it flows from the spout so I have to work quickly to draw the design ensuring the wax is still hot enough to penetrate the fabric and form an impenetrable barrier to the dye. Once the waxed design is finished I hand paint the dyes on to the silk. These are fibre reactive dyes which become permanent and colour-fast once fixed. This is achieved by heat and I use an iron to fix the dyes and remove the wax simultaneously. The scarf is then soaked in a wax remover to remove any remaining traces. The process is completed by hand washing and ironing dry.
COMMISSION
If you would like to commission me to make you that extra special art scarf for yourself or for someone else please email me your ideas on a theme, via the CONTACT page.
I design, draw and hand paint batik silk scarves. The hot wax batik method I use gives each design a flow and immediacy from the speed of working . Every wax line and mark is permanent and there are no corrections possible so every idiosyncrasy of movement of my hand, the flow of the wax and spread of the dye is captured. I think of each piece as a journey in creativity, none are perfect or reproducible and each in its own way is unique. However the designs are repeatable and I often make more than one version of each. I think of my scarves as wearable Art. They are so versatile and can be worn as a shawl or as a neck scarf for both casual and formal events. There is a natural elegance from wearing a silk scarf and they complement and complete any outfit.
INSPIRATION
Each of my scarves takes about five days to draw and paint. The design work often takes much longer. Usually something visual will trigger an idea. I make many of the designs fit the shape of the shoulders so the image makes sense as the scarf wraps around the body and so the two dimensional scarf becomes a three dimensional surface with a story to tell. My ideas and stories come from many sources. I live in the wide open Cambridgeshire Fens next to a reed-lined river. This landscape is arable with few trees and is dominated by huge skies populated with many birds: waterfowl, birds of prey and grassland and hedgerow birds too. These are my first sights in the morning and also the most immediate influence on my designs. However I'm also influenced by the call of the sea, the shore and hills and art heritage of my childhood home: the Isle of Man and its fantastical myths and creatures. And from there to here by all I have seen and read of history, culture, science and nature.
BATIK
I use a batik method and draw the design in hot wax onto a stretched silk scarf using a traditional tjanting. This is a small spouted copper vessel on a wooden handle which is repeatedly dipped into a pot of liquid wax. The wax cools rapidly as it flows from the spout so I have to work quickly to draw the design ensuring the wax is still hot enough to penetrate the fabric and form an impenetrable barrier to the dye. Once the waxed design is finished I hand paint the dyes on to the silk. These are fibre reactive dyes which become permanent and colour-fast once fixed. This is achieved by heat and I use an iron to fix the dyes and remove the wax simultaneously. The scarf is then soaked in a wax remover to remove any remaining traces. The process is completed by hand washing and ironing dry.
COMMISSION
If you would like to commission me to make you that extra special art scarf for yourself or for someone else please email me your ideas on a theme, via the CONTACT page.