Sunday, December 19, 2010

Batik

I once lived in Western Massachusetts and was always amazed of its natural beauty. It is a place where beaver ponds, stones walls and lush woodlands are the common scenery. 
 After taking a picture of this magical little place that sat at the bottom of a field behind our house, I sketched it out, getting all stones and trees in place, knowing where the light would come in. Then, started the never ending fun challenge of batik, a true labor of love. Starting the ritual of batik

Now a wall hanging, Ode to Haydenville, is a reminder of things past. The black dye I intended didn't come through as planned, as with the uncertainty of batik, you never know quite how it will develop. Here,  burgundy was the last dye and the material could not get any darker. I completely saturated the fabric with dye, that the black just did not take. After boiling off the wax, I could have added another layer, but that would have required too much work, and a chance of ruining the image. I am content with the piece though, and have come to appreciate the unintended color scheme. www.waxpainting.blogspot.com

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