I have been making batiks since high school (about 9 years now) and love the process. The pictures I included with the blog are two of the very first batiks I made when I was in high school. Every year I learn something new about the art of batik. If you don’t know much about batik, here is a short summary of how I make my batiks.
Most of my ideas come from photos I see or have taken myself on hikes in the San Juan Mountains, near my home in beautiful Colorado, or on vacation. I usually start by drawing a picture on a sketch pad and then transfer it to fabric. Each unique batik is handmade using cotton fabric, beeswax, watercolors, and dye. As the picture is being painted, beeswax is used to block out each color individually so the colors will not bleed together. After the entire piece has been painted and waxed, it is placed in the freezer to cool and harden. Then it is crumpled up and placed in black dye, which creates the crackled effect. Finally, the wax is ironed out and the batik is used in various arts and crafts.
Every time I make a batik I am amazed by the finished product. The process makes for a surprise ending every time. The crackled effect is so unknown until the last second when the wax is ironed out. No two batiks will ever be exactly the same. Each piece is truly unique and cannot be reproduced. That is why I love the batik process!
Check back occasionally for new updates to my blog and to see photos of the process of batik.
