ABOUT
BATIK
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Batik: a
method of dyeing cloth which involves the use of removable wax
to repel the dye on parts of the design, where dye is not desired.Batik
originated in indonesia.
"The word batik is Javanese, and has
been loosely translated as "good points or dots," referring
to the tiny dots in Indonesian patterns that give them a lively
quality and that show a mastery of technique.*
"A standard definition of the medium
of batik is that it is a way of coloring fabric with successive
dyebaths, producing a design by using wax to resist dyes.*
"Each design is hand-drawn with melted
wax using a tjanting tool.
"A tjanting has a small brass bowl
at the end of a handle; a tiny spout allows the melted wax to
run onto the fabric.*"
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Go HERE
for all batiks on this site.
One "employs beeswax as a resist and
begins with the lightest colors continuing through the darkest
colors.*"
Instead of cloth, I use heavy-duty cold-pressed
Arches watercolor paper; and an iron to melt out the wax instead
of boiling, chemicals or caustic sodas. I use a tjanting tool
to draw the design, then color dyes painted into the waxed areas.
Layer by layer, the color is built up to
acheive as brilliant an image as I can attain. I did a series
of Hawaiian Legends - the photos of which I will one day dredge
up from under all my files; but in the meantime, here are a couple
to whet your whistle.
I started doing batiks in the early 1980's
in a stage between the time I stopped making pots and the start
of my sculpture era.
(*excerpts taken from the article written
with information from excellent batik-on-cloth artists Cathy
Haight, Bambang Otoro and Dorothy "Bunny" Bowen in
the Online Collector's Guide)
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