An Experiment in the Batik Process

To me the lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome

 than the most luxurious Persian rug - Helen Keller.

I haven't blogged in a while.  I am fortunate to say I've been busy with galleries, exhibits and batik workshops.

This "Summer Field" batik is an example of some recent experimenting I have been doing with the batik technique. This latest batik was created using the same process as batiks on cotton but instead of a creating it on textile, I used a heavy weight watercolor paper.  The colors are created with batik dyes and each layer is washed across the whole of the batik to create the new color similar to the cotton batik dye bath.

In this piece I never used green pigment.  I prefer to let the principals of color theory do their work. The green was created after the initial blue dye wash.  The blue was protected with a layer of wax and then I applied a wash of yellow dye to the whole batik.  The yellow wash interacted with the blue creating the green.  Additional washes of blues and yellows were applied to create the warm and cool greens.  Finally the warm earthy brown was created using a light wash of red over the existing greens.  Because red and green are opposite on the color wheel, they mix to create neutrals. More washes, more colors and in the end the wax is removed.  

As I develop this style and technique I'm realizing that what I love about this process is it takes me back to my illustration and printing days. Before computers each color plate was created separately and the ink was applied in the printing process.  In fact, someone recently mistakenly believed this piece to be a block print and I can see why they would as block prints are certainly reminiscent of printing methods.  I think if I hadn't discovered batik, my medium of choice would be block prints.

I am continuing to enjoy the process as much as the end result.
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Spirea and Suspended Thoughts

It is a good idea to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought.  

 

J. Douglas 

Heights

We live Life at many levels.  When we are at the lowest levels, we  can't see past the buildings and trees and gates and obstacles obstructing the view. It is easy to get turned around and even lost at ground level. Life appears to be ONLY what we see directly in front of us.  But when we change our position and climb a little higher, we see over the fence and beyond the obstacles.  We may even get a peek of what is around the corner. 

 If we could climb even higher heights, we see our surroundings  very differently.  We see for miles and get all of our bearing in perspective.  Instead of wandering narrow (minded) passage ways, we can see our goals and destinations very clearly. We  discover new destinations from that higher perspective. 

I have heard it often preached that when Isaiah said  ".... they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." he was speaking of renewed spiritual strength.  But I think he was speaking of perception and seeing Life clearly... from the highest heights...from an eagle's perspective. 

How much more quickly does an eagle reach a destination than an animal restricted to crawling or walking?  Not only does an eagle have the speed and winds to effortlessly carry him, he has the perspective and the destination in clear sight.

I often find myself on the ground, lost in the narrow streets, trying to find my direction when instead I only needed to climb to a higher place.... and find my place on eagle's wings.

Return

It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but only retire a little from sight and afterward return again. 

    Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 - 1882

Swamped

This week's illustrationFriday.com challenge word is "swamped"    When I saw this week's word, I had to chuckle.  It pretty much sums up  my existence lately.  Swamped!

Swamped with four boys, and their baseball season and school musicals,  a house sale and relocation, art exhibits, batiks, birthday parties and receptions.. The list is overwhelming.  No wonder   I feel "swamped" and bogged down with the cares of life.

Because I feel that way, is that who I am?  Am I my  feelings?  Are we our thoughts?  It may seem that way but we  are not our thoughts and we are not our feelings.  We are not our successes or our failures.  We are not our bank account, our level of education or our skin color.....

Then who are we?

C.S. Lewis said.  "You don't have a Soul, you are Soul and you live in a body"

We are Soul - Spirit.

The problem is, thoughts take over and affect our emotions - soon our  emotions seem to be saying exactly what our mind wants it to tell us.  Face it, emotions are  deceiving .. and loud.  So loud that we can't hear any other voice except the voice of emotion...and soon we believe that is who we are.  "I am swamped.  I am a victim. I am ashamed. I am not loved.....".   None of that is who we are..but we are not  mind, We are not emotions.  We are Spirit..  We are Soul.

Soul is that part of us that God breathed into Adam.  Soul is God's very breath. I have heard it said that Soul is a Spark of God.  Soul is energy and inspiration.  Soul is what God loves.

I was finishing this batik on Friday when I checked the Illustration Friday word. If I wasn't working on this batik, I would have immediately associated swamped with my life right now.   Instead, I realized swamped has many meanings.  Swamp doesn't have to be a state of being. Swamp is simply a place we find ourselves  sometimes.  It isn't who we are....  Even in the middle of the swamp is beautiful fauna.  I  have to smile at the synchronicity and the life lesson I found.

Yielding Fruit

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:  and it was so.  And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind:  And God saw that it was good.
   - Moses

Reaching Up (capable)

This lonely, capable vine is reaching up, finding it's way to a place above the expected norm.  Perhaps it is looking for the warmth of the sun.  Perhaps it is finding it's own independence. 

Notice the small white heart in the sky. That imperfection was a mistake.  For some reason, the fabric did not take the dye in that area.  There are no accidents and I love the additional message this batik seems to want to express.  Maybe that is what the vine is looking for - the heart.