Evelyn Fritts

I first learned the art of Batik in one of my high school art classes (thank you, Mrs. Wilkie!) at the age of 16, and it's been my favorite form of expression (and therapy) ever since! After high school, I continued my education and graduated from Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Printing Technology, and a Minor in Graphic Design. I spent my childhood in Alaska, 16 years in England, and the last 6 years in Arizona. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled much of the world and have been inspired by the people I've met and their ways of life, as well as the plant and animal life in their particular regions of the world.

I use 100% cotton fabric and almost exclusively Dharma products – everything from the Procion Fiber Reactive Dyes that produce effects far richer and more vibrant than those of any other brand I've used, to Super Clear Dye Thickener and Bleach Thickener for small or specialized applications. I use a 50/50 mixture of bees wax and paraffin for my resist and various sizes of natural bristle paint brushes, as well as Dharma's Tjanting tools (both regular and electric) to achieve various results. At the moment, I am using a tamale steamer for my dye baths and a $3.00 thrift store electric skillet for my wax mixture, which just goes to show you can easily batik with pretty much anything that's handy!