What Comes First?  

What comes first?  The Orchid or the Leather?  The Orchid of course!  Selecting the perfect color and texture of leather is often responsible for the first  "change" in the artistic process.  The leather dyeing process is one that I don't dabble in, so the leather element actually dictates the final orchid, color, and design selections.  With leather in hand, it is time to explore what color of orchid, what pattern, what genera, all of which is influenced  hundreds of "vision micro moments". .  Staying true to my orchid judge training and putting an artistic spin in the mix is always an area of focus when creating the final hand painted silk.  Each phase of every creation is exciting, but mixing the colors that will be used to create the art is one of my favorite things!  When the silk comes out of the steamer, is removed from its newsprint blanket,and unrolled, I'm always so anxious to hold it up for inspection.   That's when you see what you've "really got".    

Why Orchids?

At 19, I met and married a rock musician.  Always remember, I love all things that glitter and sparkle.  The individual that I was blessed to have for a mother-in-law, Peg O'Neill, was directly responsible for giving me the "orchid bug".  Her involvement as a judge in the American Orchid Society, her orchids, her greenhouses, and ultimately her death were all stepping stones to my passion for orchids. 

Dyes and Costumes it is!

Hind sight is a gift that never changes.  It just doesn't look the same when seeing it through the eyes of "wisdom".  One of the greatest gifts on my journey came from my Costume Design Professor, David N. Velasquez.  Not only one of the greatest friends in life, but a mentor who always challenged my abilities by providing opportunities.  Through David, a brilliant dye and paint theatre artist, Deb Dryden, was a guest designer for a production of Candid at the University of New Mexico.  My artistic world  literally exploded with dyeing and painting of fabric.  Many years have passed since that moment, and it is now that all the experiences,  lessons and skills have become part of my path to silk painting.  

And Along comes Karen Sistek

Skip ahead with the me to 2015 where searching for one silk artist confusion produced yet another moment when artistic style is defined.  Once Karen Sistek was found on the internet, the actual silk painting weekend required months of patiently waiting while exploring different techniques including how to paint in humidity and cool weather often present for months in the great Northwest.   From the moment that I arrived at her home in Port Angeles, Washington, "wisdom" told me that this was going to be one of those life changing events when hind sight kicks in.  As the moments and hours ticked away, I just knew that her "Magic" technique was the missing element to creating what I envisioned as Orchid art on silk and leather.  The serti-technique (creating lines with resist and filling in the space with dyes) was out the window.  Being able to really "paint" on the silk without outlines was exactly what I envisioned.  

10 Minute Technique

The dream of being the "perfect" silk artist has come down to how I perceive the artistic process.  I've adapted to a hectic pace that does not afford (by choice) the luxury of endless days of peacefully painting.  Instead, I create in spurts and bursts.  Each element of the design process is created in hundreds of those 10 Minute Technique periods.  At the end....Wearable Orchid Art!

Witness the Process