Water Lillies and Star Fish Scarves

The water lily scarf is my favorite to do, but after spending the day at the ocean, I decided to paint star fish and the ocean! Fun, but I think I would use the stone washed silk for this one too!

Painting with the Raymond Girl Scouts

A fun afternoon sharing this great hobby of painting on silk. The girls did an amazing job painting the bright flowers. Next week we will finish this scarf.

The Sea

I love to visit the ocean, and I don't get to go to it often, but I am inspired by the waves, the sand and love starfish! So here goes with a different scarf, and I think that I would use the stone washed silk next time, and not the Habotai silk.

Painting Classes

I am offering painting classes in my home for a three hours on Fridays or Saturdays. Gather your friends together and have a party either at your home or mine. Celebrate birthdays and even bridal parties. You will go home with your beautiful scarf! Costs are $50 including all materials! Call me or email me anytime to inquire on classes!

Artascope Last Friday

Please check out this wonderful art studio! Any one can take a class in just about anything creative! Let your creativity blossom! So get away and visit Artascope or give me a call and join me for some silk painting! A great way to unwind and get away from everyday stresses!

Artascope Studios in So. Portland

Check out the Artascope Studios in So. Portland right on Rt. 77 just before Cape Elizabeth line. Great place to take classes in Silversmithing, fiber arts, felting, beading, painting, stain glass and now...silk painting coming for private and weekly series classes! I just taught my first private 3 hour class to a painter from Brunswick and she and I spent a day again Friday exploring painting techniques! What Fun!

Silk Painting Class

I offer classes to groups as well as private lessons. Each lesson is 3 hours and you will go home wearing your masterpiece! You will be amazed how beautiful your scarf will be! Each class is $50 including all materials too!

Using a Gutta

Once your design is drawn onto your silk, the next step is applying the gutta by tracing your lines. Gutta is a resist that will block the dyes from spreading into another area of your silk. There are several types of gutta, but the first one I used that is very easy to use is the washable gutta in a tube by Pabeo from Dharma Trading Co. I think this is the way to start, and now I use Jacquard Gutta Resist, a rubber based resist that I pour into little bottles using metal tips for application. I can control the thickness of the line by using different sized tips. This photo will show the black water based gutta. See how the blue dye ran into the starfish. This is because the water based gutta needs to dry completely and the line needs to be thick and closed. If there is even a small opening, the dye will run into the area that you may want to block!

Drawing Your Design

Once you have found a design or template that you want to paint, you will lay the paper under the silk and trace with a tracing pen or a pencil. Be careful that you don't go through the silk with the point of your writing instrument. I always use a dull rounded point, but you can also purchase a silk writing pen for just this step.

Using A Frame

I had wooden frames made to stretch the silk for painting. You may use wooded frame pieces that are sold at A.C. Moore or Michael stores, but I used strapping and cut down to the sizes I wanted and than used screws on the corners, in case I needed to resize my frame.

Silk Painting

Silk Painting Class

I love to paint on silk, it is like magic seeing the paint flow so gracefully onto the silk fabric. Its so mesmerizing and so appealing how the colors flow so smoothly onto this luxurious fabric. You will be amazed at your results. You don't have to be an artist to create such masterpieces!