On a recent trip to Middleton Place in Charleston, SC, I learned the importance of water in the plantation. Rice fields were flooded twice a day by tidal action to cultivate the crop. The nearby Ashley River was a vital avenue to and from the world beyond Middleton Place. Residents, both enslaved and free, came via the waterway.
This same historic waterway presented these colors along the edge. Colors of rich blue with contrasting yellows and lime greens layer in the shore line accenting the edges between land mass and water.
How I could capture this history on a scarf? The free flowing design is very easily drawn. I split the tray with blue on one side and green on the other. In the green side, I drew with a single point roughly ten times back and forth. In the blue I drew spirals to simulate clouds and airiness. Finally, I drew big curving U shapes through the green into the blue.
The paints are dropped onto the gel surface and allowed to expand and interact with the other colors on the surface. Then, I use a long comb to draw through the paints to add design to the colors of the Ukrainian Flag.
Therefore, each design created is different than the one before it.
I washed the scarf first to rid the fabric of manufacturing residue, then soaked the fabric in alum to fix the pigments on the scarf. The 17th Century process of marbling is a dry garment to wet surface transfer.
After the scarf has been left to drip dry and rest for 7 days, then I carefully wash out the extra gel and paints to return the scarf to it's "soft as silk" nature!
Charleston Inspiration 2022
The scarf is 15 x 60", 100% silk habotai scarf. The fabric is a smooth, airy silk.