Kathy Stephens

I started silk painting about five years ago after reading Susan Moyer's Silk Painting from cover to cover. I was hooked after my first brush stroke -- there is nothing that compares to the process of seeing the dyes saturate the silk and form the lustrous sheen that is the finished product. I had been painting scarves, pictures, and other wearable art for some time when some of my Jewish friends suggested that I try to paint a tallit (a Jewish prayer shawl). I had no idea where to begin, but after some research and experimentation, I produced one, and it was promptly bought by a friend for her daughter's bat mitzvah. Since then, I have made a few dozen of these ritual garments for people in the Dallas area. The products I use are all the French steam-set dyes, like Pebeo Soie, Dupont and Sennelier Tinfix,and I use Jacquard latex gutta because it's a good product and also economical. I also use Synthrapol to wash the silk after setting the colors, and I have a trusted dry cleaner who does a great job of removing the gutta and restoring the feel and drape of the silk. My husband makes all of my frames, which I use to stretch the silk with the silk clips and rubber bands, and I received a vertical steamer a few years ago as a present from him, which I use constantly -- it gives great results. I work mainly on silk crepe de chine because it absorbs the dyes beautifully and keeps "wet" longer, allowing easy blending of colors.