Inspired by my new job

Hi, I finally found some time to update my blog.  

I love my new job but it can be exhausting and I have taken a little vacation from blogging.

One of the many art projects the clients do at my new job is painting silk scarves.

I have been so inspired by their creations and color choices

that I have been just itching and twitching

to get into my silk paints at home and have some fun.

Over the last month I made four scarves 

and put together a home made steamer:

Here is the Recipe:

a very large dedicated stainless steel pot,

(meaning it will never be used to cook food again)

2 old vegetable steamers upside down,

a 12" wide stove pipe from Home Depot ($6),

some old towels,

plain newsprint from Dharma,

2 wire clothes hangers cut with wire cutters

wire snips to cut top of stove pipe inserts for wire

heavy duty aluminum foil, painters tape

and a 14" square stone tile from my husband (free)

This is what it looks like:

This was the perfect heighth to just fit on top of my stove under the overhead fan 

with the to paper, towel and tile stacked on top to hold in the steam. 

I suspended my rolled scarves on another piece of hanger 

hooked over this horizontal wire. Tape marks the center. 

For more detailed directions on how to steam silk ask in the comment section.

I finally steamed my scarves a week ago, 

washed and rinsed, rinsed, rinsed.... them yesterday and then ironed them.

I photographed the ones I steamed this morning and

one more (it has not been steamed yet)

that is a surprise birthday present for my mom.

It is fun to just combine colors in abstact designs and 

sprinkle salt here and therelike I did on these two.

I think what I love best is using gutta,

especially the metallic gutta to draw and then fill in with color after.

This one uses gold gutta and very intense colors.

This is a sample from a silk painting class I took last year finally steamed.

This is the surprise birthday present.

My mom loves blues and purples in somewhat pastel shades

so I drew lots of butterflies in clear gutta and filled them with color.

The background is a wash diluted with isopropel alcohol.

If I have time I would like to add a beaded edge at least on the ends

to give this one a really nice drape.

I have to finish a few more to make the next steaming date worthwhile.

My deadline is the end of the month 

as Mom's birthday is August 6th!

Sssssshhh!  Don't tell her okay?

So I will be back with more scarves then. 

Happy Belated 4th of July to everyone!

Heather