Hello on Monday!
It's very muggy today. Feeling like rain one moment, sunny the next. I've already done quite a lot of work, ran errands, done lots of walking, and everything seems more difficult to do when the air is as thick as molasses. Humidity doesn't suit productivity!
I have one more of my new papercut designs to show you. This one was inspired by an Indonesian Batik pattern...
Batik, Papercut Art by Tina Tarnoff, 11"x14"
{available in my shop, click to expand and see the detail}
I loved cutting these little birds. I'm quite a bird enthusiast, you know.
Here are some more of the gorgeous batik patterns...
Love the browns.
Traditional colors include indigo, dark brown, and white, which represent the three major HIndu Gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). This is related to the fact that natural dyes are only available in indigo and brown.
Certain patterns can only be worn by nobility; traditionally, wider stripes or wavy lines of greater width indicated higher rank. Consequently, during Javanese ceremonies, one could determine the royal lineage of a person by the cloth he or she was wearing.
Other regions of Indonesia have their own unique patterns that normally take themes from everyday lives, incorporating patterns such as flowers, nature, animals, folklore or people.
I always wanted to know how it's made, hopefully you are to:
Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colors are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.
Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character.
The invention of the copper block (cap) developed by the Javanese in the 20th century revolutionized batik production. By block printing the wax onto the fabric, it became possible to mass-produce designs and intricate patterns much faster than one could possibly do by using a canting (technique described above.)
More batik stamps...
Info via {here}
...
I'm always so fascinated by traditional art and craft techniques. Weather it has to do with carpet weaving, textile dying or furniture making. It always seem so complicated and difficult. And the end result amazing.
I have a desire to make my own batik fabric! Perhaps, one day.
For now, I'm happy I made a batik inspired papercut.
{Framing service also available in my shop}
The beautiful red fabric that you can see behind the papercut is Ikat, from the neighboring island in Indonesia.
xoxoxo
