Silk scarf painting 101

I took a silk painting class taught by Brenda Campbell, fellow artist at Grasshopper Gallery.  I could see getting into this new textile art, as it was a ton of fun!

For my first attempt. I learned a bit of the feel for gutta, the resist product used to draw the images. If you do not have closed shapes, or if your gutta doesn't go all the way through the silk, you will have bleeding. Truly good examples of that in my first scarf!

However - I choose to mbrace the bleeding - perfection is so overrated.  Also - no two scarves will ever be the same, one of the best things about handcrafted vs. manufactured *anything*!!

 On this, my second scarf, I concentrated on figuring out the resist a little better.

The scarf is still covered with salt, which causes the wonderful watercolour effects. Great chemical reaction when the scarf is wet... you see, art is science too!

Of course I put dragonflies on the scarves - shocking I know. Next step, setting the dye, then this is ready to wear. I would love to do more of these to be able to share at the Grasshopper Gallery!