French dyes on silk - Christine’s painting technique is similar to water color painting, applying dyes using squirrel hair paintbrushes and a bamboo paintbrush to apply hot wax used as a resist, layering the dyes and wax. The fabric’s ability to absorb, the order in which dyes are layered, all contributes to the hues and tones of the final painting.
Prior to painting, silk must be washed removing silk gum, and then stretched like canvas for an oil painting. The finished painting is taken off the stretcher and is carefully rolled in an absorbent paper. After sealing the paper and silk, it is placed in a special steamer and is steamed for 3-5 hours, fixing the acid dyes. This generates a chemical reaction from heat and moisture bonding dyes to silk.
After steaming, the silk must be washed, ironed, and dry-cleaned to remove residual wax. Silk is the strongest natural fiber and is resilient and durable enough to withstand all the processes, while retaining its natural beauty.
Resist dyeing on cloth has been dated back to the 2nd Century A.D. Japanese have a history of rozome dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries when it was called by its ancient name rokechi, stamped wax on fabric. Wax resist textiles have come to be known around the world by the Javanese word, Batik, meaning to stamp on hot wax.
Resist-dyed silk dated back to the mid-eighth century can be found in the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum, New Delhi, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Silk can last lifetimes when properly taken care of, as with all artwork, silk paintings should be displayed away from direct sunlight.
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