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Out Of The Box Gifts - Artist Profile
Fine wearable art shawls designed and handmade by Christine Sutherland
Unique hand painted shawls
Christine
Sutherland
Fiber Artist
"I have a
Bachelor of Science in Art, with emphasis in Illustration. I am a self-taught
silk painter. I discovered the medium of dyes on silk in 1999. I knew this was
my medium of choice. Its vibrant colors combined with texture in the weave give
dimension and substance to my paintings.
Why do I paint on silk? While in college I painted mostly with oils, dabbled with
water color, and enjoyed charcoal for drawing. After my daughter was born
I wanted to work in something less toxic than oils and I stumbled upon
silk painting. No one I knew had ever heard of silk painting, so I
purchased a book on silk painting and learned mostly by trial and
error. It didn't take long before I knew this was the medium for me.
There is spontaneity in the process of painting on silk that I have not
found in any other medium. This spontaneity creates energy in my
artwork.
My painting process is similar to a jazz
musician; I begin with a general vision in mind, sketches alongside, and I go
with the flow, capturing the mood of the day, trusting my experience to
improvise."
The
Process... the end is a result of many
altering stages. Prior to painting, silk must be washed removing silk gum, then
stretched like canvas for an oil painting. Applying dyes and a resist, the
artist begins to layer the pigments. Christine uses Dupont French dyes, specifically made
for protein fibers like silk. Dyes are translucent and are absorbed by the
entire weave of the fabric (so if you look at the backside of the silk it is
the same as the front). Dyes should not be confused with paints, which contain
binders and extenders changing the texture and drape of the silk. The fabric's
ability to absorb, the order in which dyes are layered, all contributes to the
hues and tones of the final painting. The painting is taken off the stretcher,
the wax is removed by ironing with paper to absorb the wax, and then it is
carefully rolled in an absorbent paper. After sealing the roll of paper and
silk, it is placed in a special steamer for 3-5 hours, fixing the
dyes. Steaming generates a chemical reaction when the heat and
moisture bond the dyes to the silk. After steaming, the silk is washed,
ironed, and dry cleaned.
Links to Christine Sutherland's shawls:
"Santa Fe" Silk Shawl
"Southwest Sunset" Silk Charmeuse Shawl |
