Gail Josselsohn

The Silk Painting Master South Africa

TWO LIPS

.
More Prolific Than Most
Silk Painting in Johannesburg South Africa

I have always been inspired, by natures textures and colors .Fabric design and silk painting methods dominated my earlier carreer .
While on a Greek Island holiday I discovered French dyes and learned the art of silk painting, which was available at the hotel as a recreation.
I am a fine artist,with the energy to share my craft with others, that love silk painting. Iam passionate about life drawing, with live models.
I live in Johannesburg South Africa.
In 1982,with a surge of creative energy doors were opened to a whole new form of expression on returning to South from a holiday on the Greek Islands.
I brought back striking silk paintingswhich Ihad done there, and was invited to exhibit at the Johannesburg Everard Read Gallery .
I do believe that I am the first silk painting artist and silk art teacher to exhibit in South Africa. I was astonished that something I loved so much could be so successful, and I embraced this unusual medium with new found boldness.
I teach the various techniques of applying the dyes to the silk and receive commisions for silk paintings, and oil on canvass. My techniques of silk painting have enriched many people over the years.

Contact: gailjosselsohn@gmail.com Mobile +27 82 888 4200:

To purchase ,silk painting kits ,silk scarfs ,and to attend silk painting workshops

South Africa Painting Vacation

While silk painting has always been popular in Europe ,I found that there has been very limited infomation on the silk painting techniques.
I began experimenting on a trial and error basis, by mixing ICI procion dyes with sea-weed (agar-agar)which thickens the silk dye and prevents the capillary flow( running ) of the silk paint(dye) on the silk
.Manutex or agar-agar is now used for this purpose.
I have painted many Ethnic themes on beautifully rolled edge silk scarves.
I have always been inspired Gustav Klimpt great art.
"Mbuntu" (Humanity),based on Gustav is my favourite painting ......... "African mother and child (,SEE LATER IN BLOG)
"The above silk painting is called "Beauty of Africa".
I exhibited silk painted lengths in London in 1969.These silk paintings were bought by well known English and Italian fabric houses.

My SILK Painting
I paint on silk with Dupont liquid dyes that have already been prepared for the use on silk.They present the least hazard to health,of all the dyes and they produce amazing transluscent glowing colours on the shiny silk.If used undiluted,the dyes can result in a brilliance of colour ,quite unlike that produced by any other media.
These silk paints (dyes)can be diluted with water to produce any tone and are intermixable,
the dyes spread or bleed on the silk fabric.This can be contained by using a binder(manutex or) gutta.
Gutta can be applied from a nozzled tube like a pen and acts as a resist line or border which will stop the dye colour from running uncotrolled on the fabric when applied,The clear gutta will wash out afterwards leaving the silk clear in the areas where the gutta had been applied.

SILK PAINTING METHODS,SILK PAINTING TECHNIQUES,SILK PAINTING WORKSHOPS

DYES - Steam & iron fixed

Both steam dyes and iron fixed dyes are colour fast after fixing.

Steam fixed:

These dry quickly because they are spirit based, they give a beautiful smooth background colour when they are combined with a diluent (alcohol). The silk gains an extra glow and vibrancy after it is steamed. The dye can be thickened and controlled with manutex or (epassisant). Steam fix before washing. This can really only be done on pure silk. Allow the steamed silk to wash clear under luke –warm water. Can use mild soap.

Iron fixed:

Quick and easy to use.Paint on ,leave to dry, iron and wash.They work well with salt. The pigment of these dyes sits on the surface of the silk,resulting in a opaque –like finish, without the glow of the steam-set dyes. The silk loses most its softness and lustre.

Gutta. (SERTI)

Serti in French means to encircle. The term is used for jewellery design, where gold and silver encircle precious stones .

This substance separates the colors, it has a honey like consistency. The gutta is put into a cone container or into an applicator bottle, and applied to the silk, (through a metal nib or a cut down polished syringe needle, attached to the applicators), over the pencil lined drawing. Once the gutta has dried, it prevents the different dye colours from bleeding into one another. If there happens to be a break in the gutta line, then by capillary action, the dye will force its way through bythe break in the gutta line, and the neighbouring colours will mix.. Clear water based gutta does not become fixed by any of the heating processes, except (metallic gutta), which is usually water based and needs iron or steam fixing.

There are two types of gutta…Water based and Spirit based.

Water based:

This gutta is easier for a beginner to use ,as it usually does not thicken with age or hot weather. It has no smell and washes out in warm soapy water, after ironing, or steaming. This gutta retains a good flowing consistency(good shelf life).If lumpy, disgard. It colours easily. Put a small quantity in a container, and add a few drops of coloured spirit based dye and mix thoroughly. This gutta application, must be completely dry before you begin to paint on the silk. Use a hairdryer.

Spirit based:

This gutta forms an excellent barrier for the silk dye due to its latex content. Any dye that accidentally gets onto the gutta line will not affect its barrier qualities. It does not have to be completely dry before you start painting. This gutta thickens in warm weather, Therefore you must keep it in a cool place, and always pour it back into its original container as the gutta dissolves certain plastic containers.

Stiff tracing paper formed into a cone (e.g. A cone for cake icing) is a suitable substitute for the plastic container.

To thin the gutta, use essence f. This spirit gutta is not as easy to colour as the water based one. Use 12mm of coloured typographical ink with a little essence-f , or white spirit with gutta in a cup and stir well.The depth of colour, depends on the amount of ink used. After steaming the silk , soak in white spirit and gently rub.

PIPPETE

This is a transparent plastic bottle. The softer the plastic the easier to use, and expel the gutta. Attach a graphic nib (No 8) ,onto the pipette nozzle. Tape with masking tape for security. A fine pin or copper wire keeps the nib clear of drying gutta when not in use. The nibs vary in size from 0.8 to 0.4.If the flow of the gutta is to fast use a 0.6 gauge nib.

Use a pencil or embroidery pen .Felt tipped embroidery pen contains an ink that disappears immediately as it comes into contact with water. Or fades after 4days if the weather is wet. One can tape the wood with masking tape to prevent the dyes that remain from affecting the new piece of silk.

PAINT BRUSHES

Size 4 6,8,10,or 12 are suitable. Ideally one should have a couple of brushes of each size, so that the reds, yellows and blues can be used separately. Sometimes, when painting a pink petal, one may pick up the residue of green on the brush from the previous time.

In Perspective

All silk will readily take and retain colour if the correct medium is used .The lustre of the material adds a further dimension in that it reflects light and appears to make the colours really glow.White silk will take bright dye colour and make it appear more brilliant.Cream or coffee coloured tsilk will alter the tones of the colours in suttle ways.

Many legends surround the invention of Sericulture.

One of these legends suggests that a Chinese Princess while taking tea under a mulberry tree, saw a cocoon drop into her tea cup .The hot liquid softened and loosened the cocoon fiber.When the princess,in her curiosity,pulled on the end of a fiber ,which had appeared ,she discovered it to be one long,silken thread.
This legend provides us with the basic information about silk production(Sericulture).
The Bombyyx Mori, is a silk worm which thrives on mulbery leaves.It developes silk glands on the underside of its body at maturity.

The rich diet of mulberry leaves,caues these glands to become engorged with a fluid which is injected through a spinneret in the lower lip of the worms mouth.Spinning a single thread causes a cocoon to be formed for protection during the pupa stage.This thread hardens and dries as it is exposed to the air.The colour of the silk depends on the genetic back ground of the silk worm.
the silk can be white, creamish,or deep yellow.

Traditionally the pupa were killed by exposure to very hot sun or immersion in boiling water ,or placing in hot ovens.

Now days they are killed by ultrasound: which has the advantage of killing the pupa instantly and does not affect the silk.
On an average the silk thread harvested from a single cocoon of the Bombyx mori is between 800-1200yrds(730 to 1100 meters)

The cocoons are immersed in boiling water,which dissolves the substance which hold the silk threads together.When.the cocoon softens , the long continuos silk thread loosens and floats in the water were it can be collected and reeled.It is then spun ,and subsequently woven, to produce a fabric of un parralled beauty and rich diversity.

There are many different types of silk all with different of characteristics,ranging from the finest diaphanous fabrics,georgette, chiffon, habbotai,to quite course ,slubby silks

My preference is to paint on habbotai silk,which has a flat even surface,and an amazing bright lustre