Jennifer Pagan-Helms

Hi, My name is Jennifer Pagan-Helms. I am a batik artist from beautiful Kamiah, Idaho. I started making batiks in high school in NC when my art teacher said that our class needed to expand our "artistic horizons" beyond drawing and painting. I found that I really enjoyed the process and the surprises that the wax and dyes have in store for you. I may wax a piece exactly how I plan to, but I never know how it is going to crackle and dye, and most of the time I am thrilled with the results. I have won several art competitions with my batiks and have been hooked ever since.

My husband, our children, and I recently moved to Idaho and decided to rent a studio where I could batik without ruining floors and bathrooms. I have since been happily batiking with a great view of the river and mountains. We are in an area of Idaho that has the largest county with the smallest population, and it is not unusual to see deer, turkeys, and coyotes running down the street. I have also set up a website to help market my batiks, since we are in such a remote area of the country. My web address is www.gypseasoul.com, and you can email me at jennifer@gypseasoul.com with any questions.

I use only Dharma's fiber reactive dyes and soda ash, as I have found that no other dyes even come close to their quality. I have recently been experimenting with mixing my own waxes (paraffin and sticky wax) to achieve more and less crackle, although I have used the batik wax in the past and have been very pleased. I also order my cotton and rayon fabric blanks and clothing from Dharma as well. The tea towels are a great way to have a hemmed hanging in a consistent size and shape, and they dye wonderfully. I think my favorite products are the rayon sarongs, which dye brilliantly and release the wax easily, with no residue; as well as the rayon velvet scarves, which I just throw into the dye bath with my batiks. They come out awesome and have been a big seller for me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them!