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Judy Yescalis
Batik
"Batik, a wax resist process originally used to create decorative fabrics for ancient royalty, has morphed into intricately sketched, waxed and dyed scenes of my favorite places - from Jerome to Paris."
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About the Artist
Batik is a resist process in which hot wax is applied to natural fabric to block out color. A pencil design is drawn on fabric; hot colorless wax is then "painted" onto parts of the design, after which the fabric is dipped in fabric dye. Each color in the batik is the result of a single wax and dye step. Dyes which seep into cracks in the wax give the batik its traditional identifying "crackle" effect. My personal techniques include the use of Chinese watercolor brushes and ‘water play’ with dyes and running water to achieve unusual design and color results.
Each batik is an original work, virtually impossible to duplicate in both process and finished product. I work from my own photos and sketches, many of which capture the local wildlife attracted to my pond, and I sometimes create commissioned pieces from clients’ photographs as well.
In my "real life" I am a semi-retired language teacher and although I spend as much time as possible visiting friends, honing linguistic skills and discovering new people and places beyond U.S. borders, I choose to live here in our uniquely beautiful southwest where everyday is a sensuous adventure in color and texture! But wherever my travels take me...along a path through the red rocks of Sedona or over a Roman bridge in Verona, Italy; through the back streets of Jerome or into the street markets of Paris and Barcelona; into a redwood forest in northern California or a mountain village in northern Spain, my sketchbook and camera are my constant companions. The three of us collect images and memories which are fixed into the fabric of my batiks.
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