When designing for you, I start by putting my full attention on that magical part of you and ask it what it wants to express. I often go outside and sit quietly in nature... and I wait. Then after a few minutes or a few days, an image appears in my mind's eye. I see it in full color with all its details. 

This is a very exciting moment because I never know what will come. The designs are often breathtaking, insightful and playful.

I often make a full color rendering of the design followed by a drawing to scale. I transfer the drawing onto the silk which I carefully stretch on special frames. If you ordered wearable art, I also sketch the shape of the pattern pieces onto the silk. Then I often apply "gutta" or resist, an outlining gel which keeps each color from flowing into the others. Up to this point your art piece may have taken days to create. 

Now I stop and say a blessing for your creation, for if any mistakes are made from now on they cannot be erased and I would have to begin all over again! I lovingly and delicately apply each of the French silk dyes. This is my favorite part and it requires the most skill. 

When the painting is complete, I let it dry in a protected place for at least 24 hours. Then I wrap it in many layers of a special paper in an elaborate and delicate preparation for setting the dyes. This step alone can take an hour. 

Then I wrap it again for further protection and lower it into a silk steamer (which I built myself) to be hot water steamed for 4-6 hours to permanently set the colors. Afterwards I wash the silk again and again to remove all the resist and residual dyes, and let it dry a final time.

Your art creation is then ready for the seamstress or the framer, followed by final inspection, packaging and shipping or hand-delivering to you. If you are framing the painting, please find a framer who knows how to mount hand painted silk. You can have it framed with or without glass. Then hang it in a place out of direct sunlight.

The best way to care for your silk or velvet garment is to dry clean it and steam iron on the reverse side when needed. Scarves may be hand washed in cold water quickly and separately and hung to dry. 

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to create for you. I absolutely love what I do and hope it continually brings you joy!