work on silk

I love handling silk. I love its milky transparency, how you can almost see through it and still it hides some things from view. It stains so readily, which is especially good when that’s what you want. Silk played an important role in preparing for a show called Vector, a collaboration with five friends that began as a calligraphy class. We chose a palette of black, white, and tea for the show. Tea-stained silk is gorgeous to my eye. I am a novice at tie-dyeing and dipping techniques; and recollecting the sophistication of Japanese shibori and Indian dyeing traditions, I was a little shy to use them. There was such anticipation with every dye bath. Then layering the silk: chance and surprise at every turn.

studio photo of silkworks in progress.

Exhibitions:

Vector, Naropa University, March, 2011

Black, White & Tea St. John Gallery, August, 2011

(Dis)covering the Veil: Visible & Invisible Spaces Jennifer Heath, curator; Concordia College; September, 2011