Linda
Vinson extends her talents as a fine artist to the medium of silk. After years
of studying watercolor, she utilizes that experience and her love of
fabrics to express her artistic visions.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Linda has a dual major in Textile
and Design, and Business. Linda has studied under silk artists from both the
East and West coasts to learn the wide range of techniques her work employs.
This combination of influences, and her life in Southern California, contributes
to her unique style.
Modern silk art has developed over the centuries. The Chinese first made silk
cloth over 4,000 years ago. They dyed silk in beautiful colors and it
immediately became a precious worldwide trading commodity. The wax resist
technique was developed in India in the second century. It produces unique and
unpredictable shapes. The gutta resist method was developed in Indonesia, where
the pallaquium tree, from which gutta percha is obtained, grows naturally. The
French perfected silk painting around the turn of the century. Their gutta serti
technique spawned the silk art revolution. The dyes they developed especially
for silk are now used around the globe in the most elegant silk art creations.
Linda uses both the gutta and wax batik methods. She uses vivid French dyes
on a canvas of the finest Chinese charmeuse and Crepe de Chine silks. The final
step of this multi-layered procedure is to steam the dyed silk to "set" the
colors. Steaming requires precise temperatures and times to fix and enhance the
dyes.
As a medium, silk delivers an unequaled flow and lustre of colors. Every
creation is unique because each piece of silk reacts to the dyes differently.
Colors combine according to their nature with spectacular results. It is the
ultimate combination of artist and artistic spirit.
Silk art is versatile and can take many forms. The work can be enjoyed as
framed wall art or wearable art. The pleasure of silk art is only limited by
your imagination.
To see Linda's other works or to contact her directly go to
http://www.dyeingtoplease.com
