Today was an absolutely amazing day!! We went to Renee's to learn the fine art of painting on silk. It was fabulous. To start with Renee explained the entire process to us. First, she creates the design that she wants to use on the silk. This may take her up to 6 months to create. Here she is showing us one of her designs of Geneisha.
Once she has her design, then she traces it onto silk using pencil. Then the pencil line is tjanted with hot wax (think psanka Easter egg painting tool).
Here is Agus, Renee's Balinesian husband tjanting lotuses on a 50cm square of silk, that I eventually paint on.
Silk painting is similar to watercolour work. Once the paint is laid, there is no going back! Each cell (area encased by wax lines) should be done all at once. Blending needs to be done by working two colours back and forth until they are mixed together on the silk. Once every cell is painted, the work needs to dry. Once it is dry it is time to get the wax out and fix the colours so that they do not run. This is achieved by dipping the silk work in a chemical called water crystal (a gelatinous like goo), left to dry for 10 - 30 minutes and then washed in a boiling water bath. This completes the fixing. Then the silk is washed and rinsed until all the 'goo' is out. The silk is then hung to dry, and can be used as is as a wall hanging or cut and shaped into clothing.
Here is Agus, Renee's Balinesian husband tjanting lotuses on a 50cm square of silk, that I eventually paint on.
Silk painting is similar to watercolour work. Once the paint is laid, there is no going back! Each cell (area encased by wax lines) should be done all at once. Blending needs to be done by working two colours back and forth until they are mixed together on the silk. Once every cell is painted, the work needs to dry. Once it is dry it is time to get the wax out and fix the colours so that they do not run. This is achieved by dipping the silk work in a chemical called water crystal (a gelatinous like goo), left to dry for 10 - 30 minutes and then washed in a boiling water bath. This completes the fixing. Then the silk is washed and rinsed until all the 'goo' is out. The silk is then hung to dry, and can be used as is as a wall hanging or cut and shaped into clothing.
Here is a completed wall hanging of Renee's.
Here is a completed jacket.
Here is a kimono in the process. The background will be painted next. Notice that Renee paints on a frame close to the floor. Most Balinese people do not have chairs or couches, just cushions on the floor. (All of us westerners were almost crippled by the end of the workshop from working on the floor.)
Here is an up close picture of the lotus flower that will be on the sleeve of the kimono.
Another work in progress called Dolphin DNA.
Check out Renee's website by the following link.
www.GoddessSilks.com
Here is an up close picture of the lotus flower that will be on the sleeve of the kimono.
Check out Renee's website by the following link.
www.GoddessSilks.com
Here are some photos of our groups silk painting samples.
Suzanne's butterfly
Mary's underwater scene.
My lotuses
Sandra's lotuses.
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