THE BATIK PROCESS

 After creating a detailed sketch on paper, I transfer the basic lines to white cotton broadcloth. Then I apply melted wax to part of the piece using Indonesian tools (tjantings and tjeguls)and brushes. I use mixtures with different ratios of beeswax and parafin, depending on how much "crackle" I want.

Using fiber-reactive dyes (Procion) I apply color with brushes. I keep the piece damp for twenty-four hours to cure it. Then I apply more wax to act as a resist against the next dyeing. This process is repeated many times.

Between waxing, I often use the Indonesian technique of removing the wax with boiling water and caustic soda. In this way I can keep the colors pure and allow greater detail.

After finishing a batik I have it dry-cleaned to remove all traces of wax and insure more permanence of the fabric. By presenting my pieces stretched and framed without glass, the fabric and visual detail are preserved.

Care should be taken not to hang batiks in the direct sun in order to minimize fading.

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