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Nov 11
in Textiles 1 comments tags: Bird, Making of, Melbourne Cup, Silk Painting

How I Made a Bird Silk Painting

Scraps of silk can come in handy. I used this small piece of white, textured silk satin to make a bird silk painting featuring a cassowary.

Cassowaries are stunning, big birds and can be found in northeastern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Wearing the bright colours of a cassowary will make a bold statement!

 

Painting a Cassowary bird on silk with Australian artist Lucy Farmer.

 

The Silk Painting Process:

I began the cassowary painting by drawing a black outline with an iron-set gutta. The gutta forms a barrier to keep the dye from spreading. It’s important to let the gutta dry completely before starting to paint. Often in silk painting a smooth gutta line is desired, however I love the squiggly, unpredictable lines with little globs here and there. Whichever way you do it, it is important to make sure that there are no gaps between the lines for the dye to seep out of. I also sign the painting at this point so that I don’t forget to do it later on.

 

Gutta outline for the cassowary bird silk painting by Lucy Farmer

 

As with all my paintings, I paint several layers of dye to make the colours deep and rich, letting each layer dry before starting the next. I never mix the dyes, I prefer to use them ‘pure’ and create new colours by layering one colour on top of another.

 

The first layers of fabric dye on the silk, filling in the gutta outline on the bird painting.

 

This is the finished painting. Once it is completely dry I set the dye and the gutta by heat setting it with an iron. I give it one last rinse and press and then it is ready to be sewn into something fabulous!

 

Cassowary silk painting by Lucy Farmer. 80cm x 80cm.

 

Using the Silk Painting:

My friend and dressmaker Svetlana Khmelevskaya made my cassowary silk painting into a blouse. Here she is wearing it at Designer Award at the Melbourne Cup. The painting goes perfectly with her Bonnie Evelyn Millinery hat and blue skirt. I think the cassowary looks happy to be out enjoying a day at the races. :)

 
Silk painting by Lucy Farmer, hat by Bonnie Evelyn Millinery, blouse and skirt made by Svetlana Khmelevskaya. Worn to the Melbourne Cup 2015.
 

Related Posts: Making a Hand Painted Gold Fish Silk Top, The Making of a Silk Dress Coat – Part 2: Painting the Silk.

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About the Author: Lucy Farmer
Lucy is a Melbourne based artist, specialising in oil, watercolour and silk painting. Lucy loves paint (all types!) and has been known to talk about it for hours at a time.

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Categories
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Featured Post 1

A Diamond a Day – September 2016

5 October, 2016

Lucy Farmer painted a diamond every day in September 2016
A diamond a day keeps the doctor away - or something like that. To help keep my artwork fresh and healthy I am making a small, quick collage study of a diamond every day. The 'A Diamond a Day' Project: […]
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