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Fabric Art Galleries
Visible Soul Home Batik gallery 1 Batik gallery 2 Tie-dye galleries
home batik 1 batik 2 tie-dye

Batik and Tie-dye are ancient arts. Both probably originated in Asia in the pre-Christian era. By the 13th century Batik was a highly developed art in Indonesia. Traditionally natural dyes are used, even today, in Indonesia and other places in the Pacific Rim. My works in batik and tie-dye are modern interpretations of these ancient arts, combining both traditional and original techniques. I use Procion dyes which are "fiber reactive". Fiber reactive dyes chemically bond to natural fibers unlike pigments which do not penetrate beyond the surface layer. Cloth dyed with Procion dyes holds its color well even with repeated machine washing.

Batik is a wax resist method of dying fabric. Areas treated with wax "resist" the dye and preserve the original color of the fabric. With repeated waxing and dying, intricate designs can be achieved. The characteristic cracking patterns seen in batik can be controlled to some extent by the mixing of different kinds of wax. My batik designs are crafted using traditional tools to create non-traditional original art.

Tie-dye is also a resist method of dying fabric but the designs are created by folding and tying the fabric. Tie-dye was popular in the 1960s and has seen several resurgences in popularity since then. Available dyes have greatly improved in the last 30 years and tying methods have also developed over time. I enjoy creating designs that I have never seen before. I tend to lose interest when I see someone else using the same pattern as me. A few of my designs have proven to be extremely popular at festivals throughout Texas. I don't make a lot of tie-dyes lately but I should have some designs to offer in the Visible Soul online store soon.

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