Welcome to my studio! would you like to have a look around?
Here are some introductory videos
Short and Sweet
Longer and in depth
Here are some introductory videos
Short and Sweet
Longer and in depth
Process:
Batik is an ancient method of dyeing fabric. Originating in Indonesia and moving outward, many cultures have adopted the process and created a style unique to their region. The basic premise has remained throughout the centuries: hot wax is applied to fabric, the fabric is dyed, waxed areas resist the dye creating a design.
I have been playing with this medium for nearly 20 years, finding huge potential within the constraints of wax and dye. I use a locally harvested beeswax, traditional tjanting* tools and brushes, fiber reactive and natural dyes.
I am often asked "How long does it take you to make one of these?" The answer is complicated. It's like cooking. There is active time and inactive time. The waxing of patterns and images takes a vast amount of time and concentration, those are the active times. A piece will spend many many many hours sitting in dye baths and drying. That's a lot of inactive time, but as in the baking of a pie, necessary for the final product. In all, pieces take months (sometimes many seasons) to complete. The following time-lapse videos will walk you through my process. The videos were taken over the course of 2 months and each session was anywhere from 45 minutes to over 3 hours. I hope this visual aid helps you understand the process and my commitment to it. Enjoy!
If you'd like to take some time to view this interview that covers my process and inspiration and all sorts of other things, Alison Antelman of Antelman studios and I had a wonderful conversation covering process and progress. Please enjoy! https://vimeo.com/user103802648
I have been playing with this medium for nearly 20 years, finding huge potential within the constraints of wax and dye. I use a locally harvested beeswax, traditional tjanting* tools and brushes, fiber reactive and natural dyes.
I am often asked "How long does it take you to make one of these?" The answer is complicated. It's like cooking. There is active time and inactive time. The waxing of patterns and images takes a vast amount of time and concentration, those are the active times. A piece will spend many many many hours sitting in dye baths and drying. That's a lot of inactive time, but as in the baking of a pie, necessary for the final product. In all, pieces take months (sometimes many seasons) to complete. The following time-lapse videos will walk you through my process. The videos were taken over the course of 2 months and each session was anywhere from 45 minutes to over 3 hours. I hope this visual aid helps you understand the process and my commitment to it. Enjoy!
If you'd like to take some time to view this interview that covers my process and inspiration and all sorts of other things, Alison Antelman of Antelman studios and I had a wonderful conversation covering process and progress. Please enjoy! https://vimeo.com/user103802648
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Working on multiple pieces at a time allows for continuity in color throughout a series
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Each dye wash is a little bit darker and allows for subtle hue shifts.
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3 separate vat dyes over the course of 1 day, allow darker dyes to penetrate the fabric through the cracks in the wax.
and then...
The wax is removed!
and then...
The wax is removed!
Once the wax is removed, the process begins again, re-waxing the dyed areas and leaving areas to be dyed open.
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The process is repeated multiple times, removing the wax twice more, and re-waxing and dyeing until each area has been dyed. After the final wax removal (in this case, #4), the piece is finished by trimming and sewing on details.
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