Raebird Creations

When I make art, I seek inspiration from the Earth. Plants, wildlife, and landscapes speak to me and call me to celebrate them through painting. Silk painting is a multi-step process, so I try to lean into the moment and enjoy the journey, knowing the final result may not come for weeks. It begins with an idea, which I sketch on paper and trace/transfer onto silk. I outline the image with resist or gutta, which later acts as a barrier to dye. When I add the dye (the best part!), it flows freely in all directions but will not pass a gutta line. The process cannot stop there – the dyes must be made permanent by steaming the fabric in a tamale cooker for 2-3 hours. If the piece is a scarf, I wash and iron the final piece. If the piece is for the wall, I adhere or stretch it on a canvas. Silk painting methods are diverse, and often there is not one “right” way to paint. For example, there are many types of resists you can use, as well as many types of silk, and then there are multiple ways to make it hangable. For this reason, silk painting is an endless process of experimentation. I keep a curious spirit about me and ask a lot of questions for each painting.

This artist is participating in a live Zoom Studio Tour:
To join them, please click on the Zoom link below during the date/time of the scheduled tour.
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87995740850
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Time: Sun, Dec. 6 4:30 pm

I work in light-filled studio with tile floors - which makes it easy to clean when I have a dye spill! Violets bloom in the window, scarves hang in the closet, and best of all, my dog Lily takes her throne on the reclining chair. On occasion, I take a table outside and work under the mesquite tree, listening to curve-billed thrashers and verdin.

Silk painting involves a great deal of preparation. In these photos, you can see the sketches that I'll later trace onto silk and the bottles of resist. This is white resist. If I want colored resist, I add a few drops of dye and shake it up!

Here's a scarf in progress! The resist lines have been drawn in white and I'm adding dye. The dye is applied carefully with a brush to each section that is enclosed with resist.