The Art of Silk Painting
Art Monday Series
Post 3
As we continue this journey of introduction
and discovery, today’s topic lends itself to one of my favourite areas of art –
the painting on silk.
Shortly after I started aquarelle painting,
I wanted to take is a step further and try painting with watercolours on silk
rather than traditional option of paper. So, some of my earliest paintings are
done on silk, by using exactly the same techniques as I learned to use on
paper.
The transparent quality of aquarelle is
even more accentuated on fine silk materials, but the flow is much harder to
control, making it much more interesting, intense and deliberate process of
creation. While the margin for errors in traditional aquarelle (watercolour)
painting is very low, on silk the painter’s thinking has to be done by the time
that brush loaded with colour and water hits the silk.
It will literally run in
all directions if you just hold it on the single spot, so you have to exercise
precision, you have to decide where the stroke is going and envision it before
you apply paint.
The layering is pretty much the same, as
the transparent layers become more vivid and darker the more light washes you
apply. And my style in both aquarelle on paper, and on silk – is to portray the
colour intensity as close as my eye sees it. I definitely aim for realism, but
I am not that strict with execution. I especially love a little more abstract
distance, as it helps put the focus on foreground, or wherever my main subject
is.
But there is one more aspect of silk
painting that really pulls on all my heart strings, and that is (have you
guessed it yet?) fashion and furnishings. I have had pure joy of painting
hundreds of unique silk scarves, cushions, table runners, curtains, quilts,
cards – to name but a few. I became a silk and aquarelle self employed artist
several years before I qualified as a professional interior designer and
flipped the two so that the designer services were my primary business.
As an
artist, I have participated in many south and west London art and craft shows
at different venues and with different organisers, as well as exhibited
regularly for 8 years in Green Park and Bayswater weekly exhibitions in London,
and two-three times a year in Belgrade as a member of Dunav Art Society.
I love that my life has made a full circle
as far as the career building goes, and after taking a break (8 years long
break) from being self employed and taking on two completely different roles
(one of which was in corporate environment), I am more sure than ever that who
I truly am is an artist, and that I have a lot more impact and joy in enriching
people’s lives through my creative output.
Since this is not the first time for you
reading my posts, I am sure that you will not be surprised to hear that for me
art and life are inseparable. They are one in every sense imaginable!
That is
the reason why I wanted today to give you a glimpse into another passion, which
is connected with silk and painting and creating something that is always a
little different, always unique – because we are all unique and art absolutely
has to recognise and celebrate exactly that), always beautiful – so that it
reminds you to enjoy simpler, true, real moments, each moment of being alive.
Make it a celebration, and life will magically transform from ordinary into
this incredibly potent and rich experience where each day brings something new
and exciting and you know that by bringing the best you to the game of life you
can only win and remain happy forever.
As you could see from the slides above, I
still paint on silk, but only by request. You can send me your commission
request and I will get in touch with you to discuss the details.
Remember – You Are Safe Here
This is the sacred place between our souls. Thank you for sharing your visions, dreams and ideas. Your courage to be vulnerably seen will always be respected, and you will be treated with nothing but kindness and compassion. ♡
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