I have been a great fan of dyeing and printing since I realised that it would free me up from all my self-imposed constraints of neatness and perfection. Last week I had my first foray into Batik and I discovered that there is a whole new level of serendipity with this technique!
For the uninitiated, Batik is a Javanese method of wax resist dyeing involving hot wax and a small metal funnel called a tjanting which is used to apply the wax to cloth. After a quick practice with the tool on a piece of rough paper I thought I had got the measure of a tjanting. With my white cotton fabric stretched over a frame I started to work in what I thought were loose and artistic swirls. But the combination of absorbent fabric and free-flowing wax required a lot more skill than I could muster on a hot Friday morning.
The results are very primitive but the veined appearance, which is achieved by cracking the wax prior to dipping in a final bath of dark coloured dye, made my sample look like an illuminated manuscript or a stained glass window. Unusually, I chose to work in bright colours for a change and do you know, I quite like my bold turquoise and purple cloth with highlights of yellow and green.
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