Kate Ford

I am Kate Ford of Rochester Hills, Michigan. I have been working as a fiber artist steadily for about the last 3 years. I work in batik on silk or cotton. I use crepe de chine and habotai silks from Dharma. I began making t shirts and baby items with batik, and then branched out into artwork. The majority of my clothing orders are custom orders for specific animals. I have made buffalo, a diamondback rattler, whales and even an armadillo. I get a lot of satisfaction especially when the kids have a favorite animal and I can put it on a shirt for them. To me, I am helping young minds share the love of animals that I have.

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University, with a concentration in printmaking. I have found a common thread between batik and printmaking.... they are both forms of what I call "backwards" art! Printmaking is a reverse process, and batik can be that way, too. I like to use the wax almost as a silhouette in some cases.

My subject matter is our natural world and its inhabitants. I have a personal love for the endangered species, and they are a large part of my subject matter. I love the outdoors, especially in Michigan. My current series of batiks features Michigan places and Creatures.

I use many different techniques for the dyeing process. I use vat dyeing, low water immersion as well as direct application. I have found valuable tips in the Dharma tutorials. I enjoy the featured artists on Dharma because it always helps to see what other artists are doing and how they are doing it. I would have to say 95% of my supplies come from Dharma. Procion dyes, silks, chemicals and even the T shirts.