Erin O'Brien

For over 30 years I have been an interior design consultant, working on a variety of projects. The finishing touches - buying and placing art and accessories in a client's home or business - has taken me to a number of art galleries. Several times, although I was not looking for one, a hand painted silk scarf would catch my eye. I was drawn to their beauty and design. In the back of my head, I thought, "I could do that!" After a bit of research, a starter kit was ordered, and in a very short time, I was hooked.

I have painted and designed on several weights of silk. I have narrowed down my preferred silk to two qualities. 8mm (momme), flat crepe is excellent for detail work. The hand and drape are softer and more sheer then a habotai silk. The dyes dry fast, the water based Sennelier Aqua Guttas/resists, in clear, gold, silver and black, soak through the silk and hold the dye in place, giving the image a crisp, defined appearance. A 12mm satin silk is a medium weight that has a wonderful drape and takes dye beautifully. The fabric dries more slowly than the flat crepe, and when using silk salt or alcohol, it creates interesting textures. The top of the fabric is shiny and smooth, and there is a lot of bounce to the fabric. It feels sumptuous next to your skin.

I started out with Dye-Na-Flow silk paints that are set with an iron. Now I am using Sennelier Tinfix and Pebeo Soie silk dye and steam setting the dye. The colors are more vibrant and beautiful. I stretch my silk on an Easy Fix Fabric Stretcher Frame with frame extensions. It is EASY to adjust the silk as it gets wet and stretches.