Dye on Silk
This rhododendron flower caught the sun and also my eye. Here it is immortalized. The petals will never fade or drop and the bloom will stay all winter to bring color and cheer into someone’s life.
Melon and Citrus
The number of irises I have painted must be in the dozens, though this is the first one on silk. I found the bloom in Victoria, BC and struggled to name this art piece. Perhaps something lemony and edible? I then remembered a favorite recipe called “Lemon Dream” which, when baked in an outside pan containing water, separates into a top cake layer over a delicious lemon curd.
Lemon Dream
Irises are one of my favorite flowers. I found this one in the garden of the bed and breakfast where we chose to stay on visits to Victoria, BC. Having completed the blossom, my intuition told me to “paint a bright red background!” I printed a photo of the painting, then added a red color with watercolor paint. Only then did I take the risk, added the background, a little spray of diluted pink dye and voila, the title stuck.
Flushed
I found these two tropical plants amongst the jungle in The Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, BC. They were a long way apart and my immediate thought was could I combine them? I loved painting this one.! In fact I couldn’t get my chores finished fast enough to get back to it. I was actually sad to finish it. Having said that, as an artist, knowing when to stop I is important.
Nature’s Art
My rendering of the lace cap hydrangea with watercolor on masa paper gained rave reviews. That painting is currently on the website of The Botancial Artist of Canada and was quickly sold. Here is a brand new version on this medium, dye on silk.
Lace Caps
Most tulips are seen much more closed-up than this one, which appealed to me with its bare all pose. I also like the way the red had a painted-on look with no blending. To stop any blending or bleeding of the red parts, I painted the petals first with two coasts of spray starch. The background was left with no starch. This process allowed me to paint the tulip as I saw it. The result is quite striking, don’t you agree?
Red, White and Green
Orchids intrigue me. The varieties are endless! Painting them on silk is not as easy as on watercolor paper. Because I do not want them to have a paint by numbers look, it takes a bit of courage to add the dye and wait for the results when it is dry and then finally to steam the piece to set the dye.
Orchids in Pinks
Is there anyone who doesn’t like poppies? Drifting into summer fields, making their presence known in a garden, they seem to take center stage, no matter what the location. I wasn’t sure how painting one on silk would turn out, but I am pleased with this result.
Scarlett Passion
I delivered this particular painting to a gift shop called Blue Fish in Port Alberni, BC. It quickly caught the attention of many customers but only one lucky customer was able to snatch it up for their own collection.
Pond Shapes
I bought these petunias when they were new to the flower market. I was fascinated by the differences in the petal marketing. Some almost entirely gold and others mostly burgandy on the same blossom. They turned out well with the vibrancy of dye which is pure and clear just like tea without milk!
Petunia Variations
A dear friend sent me some photos from a trip to Hawaii and I knew this one would translate well onto silk. Drawing free-hand with gutta (it keeps the dye where you want it) and sketching in the leaves was great fun! Some parts needed several layers to reach the depth and vibrancy I wanted. This piece is steam-set and custom framed.
Birds of Paradise
Continuing on my journey to paint with dye on silk, I chose these colorful Miltoniopsis orchids, adding a few dashes of bright turquoise to spice things up a bit! As the silk dries, the colours change, giving surprises along the way. They change again when steamed to set the dye.
Red Knight
Transferring my watercolour skills to painting wiwth dye on silk has brought a new learning curve for me. I just love the stunning and vibrant colours of this Miltonoia Spectabilis Orchid which change slightly when the art piece is steam set.
Moreliana
My flower portrait “Rhythm in Pink” of this hibiscus sold quickly to a lovely client from Collingwood, Ontario. I loved the shapes and rhythm of its petals, so I decided to paint it again, this time with dye on silk. Both versions have appeal so the experiment worked.
Hibiscus
This peony grew in my own garden in Waterloo, Ontario and this is not the first time I have painted it, just the first time with dye on silk. This medium has increased the light and glow from the previous versions - hence my choice for the title.
Illumination
This small tree grew outside of my studio in Comox, BC. In the springtime, the grey-green leaves shelter tiny, hardly noticeable daisy-like flowers. As summer turns to fall, the leaves show up more, dressed in lovely shades of gold and peach with deep purple veins. Suddenly, the berries become purple and stay all winter long shown off against their neutral background, ready to feed the chickadees.
Beautyberry
Many locations in the Comox Valley area in BC provide the right environment for blackberries. By August, their canes are festooned with ripening fruit. I enjoy making blackberry and apple jam with the harvest. First I boil the berries with some sugar, then strain to save the pulp but remove the pips. I add some peeled, sliced apples and a wee bit of sugar to taste. It makes several jars of delicious jam.
Blackberries
Playing with dye on silk is growing on me and the more I use it, the better my pieces seem to turn out! Simply doing it I the best way to learn, don’t you agree?
Grapes
For several years, a local art show in Comox Valley area has promoted the estuary so I decided to paint a great blue heron which frequents our waterways. I chose dye on silk as my medium of choice. This piece is currently adorning the walls of my youngest daughter’s home in Calgary, Alberta.
Horatio
To participate in the 2015 “Keeping It Living” Art Show promoting the local estuary in Comox, BC, I chose an underwater scene rather. The tides come and go twice in every twenty-four hours and the estuary is where the salt water mixes with rain run-off. Tides are low governed by the moon. What a truly amazing world we live in!
