A new direction for my artwork has finally been realized- fabric painting!

My background in printmaking (mainly silkscreen) has developed into airbrushing.

The primary reason is that in the past, I used varsol to thin my paints and lacquer thinner to clean up. Of course, the toxins from those chemicals were bad for my health and the environment. I switched to water based inks, but didn’t like the results, finding it difficult to register the paper and it would buckle due to the water. As a result, I learned how to airbrush and have fully embraced it.

In September, I completed 8 scarves and 1 shawl. The fabric I used for most of them was a rayon/bamboo blend.

I also made two on cotton, painting on both sides. The most challenging was the shawl, which I painted on a black, chiffon type material. Not only was the paint spraying through the fabric, making it difficult to see the result until it was taken off the wall, but the colour of the paint also changed, due to the black colour of the fabric. Good lessons.

My past experience in fabric printing was limited to a course, which I took, in Surface Design, at OCA (Ontario College of Art, in Toronto).

That was quite a few years ago, but sometimes the time has to be right for situations to blossom!

My intention is to continue painting scarves of various sizes, experimenting also with different types of fabric. Maybe this will eventually lead to other items. The possibilities are endless!