Pomegranate Batik is officially a part of the Capitol Hill Artwalk! It is Thursday September 12th 5-8pm. Bootyland Kids is located in "ChopHouse Row" which is a big in/outdoor boutique mall with swanky restaurants and coffeshops, cozy outdoor seating areas. Pomegranate Batik is being presented as part of the art there! How cool, it's been ages since I've been part of an artwalk, and this will be the first time with my batik apparel. I did have my batik fine art in the Ballard Artwalk a couple years ago. I'm glad I focused on my batik this summer because it seems to be paying off in more ways than one - and now that it is the beginning of September it's a nice reward and just before my birthday. Of course I wouldn't do this if I didn't enjoy it. This is not a money making machine or big business at all or ever will be, it's just my art. Art is forever.
I'm working on a Pomegranate Batik sign to hang in the shop over my display - and add "Hand painted". The reality is most people do not know what batik is and just assume off hand everything is some mass production print job. It's a shock when people realize each piece is hand painted, one of a kind and even signed by the artist! I see how vintage clothes go up in price but imagine a signed dated hand painted piece by an actual artist!? I have never seen this! I only got the idea from my batik teacher who, after three decades of creating batik apparel, only began signing her work a couple years ago. She's like "why didn't I sign my work before?" because only now is she realizing she's an actual artist. It's difficult to see that in oneself. But even she cannot deny anymore that her batik is true mastery, and she even makes her living off of it. My batik is only good because I have been an active oil painter for three decades and I know how to draw and wield a brush. I don't know if I'll ever make a living off of it or my art in general. It would be nice to live the dream and not worry about money. Most people who are born into wealth don't realize the freedom they have not having to work for a living. They are free to do what they will every day - study, paint, travel, create - but mostly they become wanton consumers of fashion. Some collect fine art, and I wish I could do that myself. I would collect all the original Johfra Bosschart paintings if I could! Johfra is what made me an artist. His is the first art I ever collected - his astrological posters that came out in the 1980's now all collector's items. Unfortunately Nini scribbled on mine. Johfra died in 1998 the year I graduated from Cornish College of the Arts, and when I decided to do my Tarot paintings. And then of course I would collect all the works of the Surrealist Spanish painter Remedios Varo, I love her work so much. Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini, Max Ernst, Gustav Moreau, H.R. Giger, Otto Dix, Odd Nerdrum, Frida Kahlo.. the list goes on.
If I was wealthy I would be a filmmaker and make Sergei Parajanov type films. It's funny that I am working on a film with Jackie Hell right now. If it goes well then it will be the beginning of something amazing.
I'm excited to start making some more batik fine art again as I've only focused on apparel. I want to do Tarot art or alchemical art specifically. I've always loved the alchemical image of the man peeking through the veil of the sky into the machine beyond - I even made my latest business cards with that image! It's the opening page on my Tarot of the Pomegranate website. Well, I guess that's a sign I should finally paint this image or my interpretation of it that is, and with Batik submersion method it will be so out of my control it becomes the Batik's interpretation of it! That's the most exciting part of Batik is being able to let go and let the Batik do its thing and then the satisfying surprise when you boil the wax out at the end is quite addictive and is quite the opposite of oil painting.
Batik art is just in a field of its own. I love it so much!