Class Descriptions
Silk Painting For Everyone
Explore the simple, yet exquisite technique of painting on silk in this one-day, six-hour workshop.
Learn the Serti method in which you first trace the outline of your chosen design with gutta resist. Choose a pattern from my collection, or design your own. Then touch the colors on with a brush and watch them flow, blending naturally on their own. Completing an original 22"x22" natural silk scarf will teach you the basic skills of design, color mixing, blending and texturing. This technique, which uses permanent, non-toxic dyes, is simple enough for absolute beginners, yet is also an exciting way for more experienced painters to transfer their talents to fabric. All supplies will be provided.
Advanced Silk Painting
For people with silk painting experience. Try different resists, different silks, and specialty products like No Flow, thickeners, discharge paste. Learn ways to paint with no resist. A wide variety of materials will be available for you to use. Complete a finished project or make a series of samplers to just explore and enjoy the possibilities. Talk to Janet if you have a special project in mind.
Silk Painted Greeting Cards
In this one day workshop, we will do a series of small silk paintings and apply them to blank cards. Do your Christmas cards, paint a wonderful selection of year-round cards to send, or package a set of several to give as a gift. Both beginners and experienced painters welcome. Silk painting materials supplied. Stationery available for purchase in class.
Family Classes
Kids of all ages love painting on silk. This is a great way for kids, parents, and grandparents to spend an afternoon together learning something new. In this three hour workshop you will complete a scarf/banner or a set of flags to string. They make lovely gifts, but they are often hard to give up! And kids from ages 6-14 are welcome on their own, of course.
The Basics and Beyond: Bead and Stitchery Embellishment
The silk is beautiful. The colors are beautiful. You can’t fail to create a beautiful piece, even on your first try. This class includes both the silk painting basics and a special focus for using the technique.
The Basics: In the Serti technique, your design is outlined with a resist. The dyes are painted on and flow together, blending naturally, until they reach the resist line. Patterns are available or you can design your own. All materials are supplied to finish a 22 x 22” scarf.
Beyond: If you want to do more, this class’s special focus is on adding the texture of hand quilting, and embellishing your finished painting with stitchery and beading. Beginning skills and materials are provided. You can enhance the luster of your silk with even more sparkle and glow.
The open-ended format of this class makes it appropriate for both new and experienced painters.
Painting Without Lines
Sometimes you would like to paint something without the resist lines as part of the design. There are several ways to do this using a variety of special products and techniques. Come and try them all. Expand your possibilities.
Chinese Brush Calligraphy
Guest instructor Kathy Pak will introduce the basics of Chinese Brush Calligraphy in this four hour workshop. Kathy is a master calligrapher, having painted since childhood, and is also a master teacher. Learn common strokes and characters, and also some other ancient symbols. In this class, we will work on paper. You will enjoy this class itself, and it complements the Silk and Calligraphy class offered subsequently.
Silk and Calligraphy
In this class taught by Kathy Pak and Janet Lehwalder, we will add Chinese Brush Calligraphy to our silk paintings. First we will paint a background, set it, and then prepare the silk so that calligraphy characters and Chinese style birds and fish can be added without outlining with a resist.
Silk Painting for the Holidays: Gifts and Cards
Learn to paint on silk. It's simple. The design is traced onto the silk with a resist using a pattern from my collection or yours. The dyes are then applied with a brush. They flow and blend naturally to create beautiful paintings, scarves, quilts, home decor, cards and more.
Choose your own project.
Scarves Try a 22x22" scarf. Great for gifts. Or you can frame it, pillow it, or design a holiday banner.
Greeting Cards Complete a series of small silk paintings and apply them to blank cards. Do your Christmas cards, paint a wonderful selection of year-round cards to send, or package a set of several to give as a gift.
For those registering 10 days ahead, a variety of items to paint may be ordered. Men’s ties, eyeglass cases, drawstring bags, jewelry, etc are examples of some of the choices.
Both beginners and experienced painters welcome. Silk painting materials supplied. Stationery available for purchase in class.