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|  | Silk
Silk is a luxurious fabric, beautifully delicate yet practical and durable, it is the strongest natural fiber. The first parachutes were made of silk! Using proper care, silk can be enjoyed for lifetimes. For my paintings, I use a heavy 19mm charmeuse silk. Charmeuse is a durable weave and the weight (mm or mumme, a japanese unit of measurement) of the silk absorbs more dye, adding to the richness of the painting. o Care of Silk
If you need to clean your silk I suggest hand wash in luke warm water using a gentle baby shampoo void of wax, if the silk is clingly use conditioner. Hang dry and iron while damp. If this is too much work dry clean it! | w | Q: How do I care for my new painting on silk? A: All of my finished paintings have been washed and dry cleaned. If you have framed your artwork under glass only the frame and glass will need to be dusted. I recommend dusting with a feather duster as often as needed. In rare cases, and only if needed, the silk can be removed from the frame and washed or dry cleaned. | 2 | Permanence
My paintings are steamed for 4-5 hours to "fix” the dyes. This generates a chemical reaction from heat and moisture bonding dyes to silk, this means, the silk and dyes become one piece, the same as when a ceramist paints the glaze on, then puts it into the kiln, it becomes one piece, the glaze is part of the clay. Once fixed, the dyes are permanent and can be washed, dry-cleaned, and are light resistant as long as the painting is kept out of direct sunlight. Q: Will the color fade over time? A: French Dupont Dyes are light resistant and are permanent. I steam each piece for 4 hours, once steamed the dyes and silk become one and are permanent, similar to ceramics after the glaze is fired in the kiln, it becomes a solid piece. There are museums with centuries old resist dyed textiles, paintings on silk, and kimonos. Use care when displaying artwork by displaying it away from direct sunlight and it will last lifetimes. As with all artwork, it should not be displayed in direct sunlight. | Row 3 |
Q: Why do I paint on silk? A: While in college I painted mostly with oils, dabbled with water color, and enjoyed charcoal for drawing. After my daughter was born I wanted to work in something less toxic smelling than oils and I stumbled upon silk painting. No one I knew had ever heard of silk painting, so I purchased a book on silk painting and learned mostly by trial and error. It didn't take long before I knew this was the medium for me. There is a sponteneity in the process of painting on silk that I have not found in any other medium, this creates an energy in my artwork. | 4 | Wax as a Resist
The beauty of a silk painting starts as dye touches silk. It spreads like grape juice on a table cloth. To control the spread of dyes, I use bees wax for my resist. I remove the wax by ironing between two sheets of paper, then I steam fix to make permanent. The residual wax is completely removed in the final process of dry cleaning. Dyes Using natural hair bristle brushes I paint with Dupont French Dyes, acid dyes specifically made for protein fibers like silk. Dyes are translucent and are absorbed by the entire weave of the fabric (so if you look at the backside of the silk it is the same as the front). Dyes should not be confused with paints, which contain binders and extenders changing the texture and drape of the silk. |  | My Painting Process... the end is a result of many altering processes. Prior to painting, silk must be washed removing silk gum, then stretched like canvas for an oil painting. Applying Dyes and a resist I begin to layer. The fabric’s ability to absorb, the order in which dyes are layered, all contribute to the hues and tones of the final painting. The painting is taken off the stretcher, the wax is removed by ironing with paper to absorb the wax, then it is carefully rolled in an absorbent paper. After sealing the roll of paper and silk, it is placed in a special steamer and is steamed for 3-5 hours, fixing the dyes. Steaming generates a chemical reaction when the heat and moisture bonds the dyes to silk. After steaming, the silk must be washed, ironed, and dry cleaned. Silk is resilient and durable enough to withstand all the processes retaining its natural beauty. | | | | | |
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