Lotsa, Lotsa Fun With Wax.

YESTERDAY was the long awaited batik painting class with Lark Brandt. Her mother originated the process of using this particular daphne paper when she was in Nepal and didn't have many art materials.
The daphne paper came in three weights - from very light and thin to a thicker, heavier, coarser paper.
For inspiration Lark had flowers, fruit and vegetables set out. I pretty much stuck to my "lady face" theme. We took the paper, "saved" some areas of it by painting it with melted wax - using a paintbrush or janting tool, whichever we preferred - and then used watercolors to gently put down color. There was a lot of discussion on how to begin and what to draw, but soon we just all began to have fun and the art took care of itself. (Lark is in the first photo showing an example. Remember: You can click on the photos to view them larger.)
Here's my lady face after I waxed an outline, painted it with watercolors and let it dry and then "saved" the areas I did not want to be black - because that's the next step: We paint the image all over with India ink. So goodbye lady face. Ack! What have I done?
We'll see what happens when the wax is ironed out. This is the part where you cross your fingers. Leaving the edges unwaxed was a nice way to get a "frame" around your image. The ideal way to hang these is under glass or maybe between two panes of glass. Either side can be interesting in its own way.

Here she is after being ironed. (By the way: Lark used telephone book pages and then she uses those waxed sticks for starting back yard bonfires. She lives in the country.) Sorry the photo isn't rotated. Maybe I will come back later and do that.

Another couple of images and then I have to leave and turn the water off outside!

I almost have my art journal filled up - right at the end of September. So the next journal will begin in October. I can't wait to begin another one!