Waxing Eloquent: Soy Wax Resist with Carol Soderlund 2012.11.09-10

I took this class for pure pleasure and experimentation. Wax resist is my ultimate favourite type of resist. It brings back childhood memories.

I worked with only three dye colours. On a table napkin and a silk scarf I pre-painted some flowers, butterflies (change), dragonflies (freedom), and ladybugs (good luck) with SetaColour fabric paint and when the paint was dry I heat set the paint with an iron. I then used wax to cover the painted areas before I painted dye onto the pieces.

I had learned the layering technique from another class a few year earlier. The experimentation was in how what types of materials being layered the wax and dye would be able to penetrate effectively. I used six different types of fabrics with different weights and finishes from cottons to silks in random order mixing cotton with cotton, silk with silk and cotton with silk. The sandwiches had two layers except for one where I layered three materials as seen in the images below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another experiment was to fold the fabric in half to get a reflected image:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol is a wonderful teacher and I really enjoyed the course to my ability at the time.

I was in mourning, dealing with some personal issues (my husband had left me in Oct. 2011, my father died 2nd Oct. 2012, I lost my job 25th Oct. 2012) and to keep myself occupied I was going to school full-time at BCIT for Graphic Design and had booked 4 back to back demanding Maiwa courses of which this was the one.

To top it off, on the way to the class that morning I almost had a car accident which not only caused me to be late but also caused me a huge amount of stress and brought me to an overwhelming reality of the recent losses I had suffered bringing me to the realization of how very fragile life can be at times.

And in reflecting on the morning events and my life in the last year, I had an anxiety attack (these started after my husband left me and only show up when I eat) as I was eating my breakfast oatmeal in class. I became white as a sheet as I could not swallow or breathe (everything was stuck in my chest along with horrendous pain) and as I quietly tried to keep composed and not interrupt, I almost passed out.

Carol had noticed which caused Carol to stop teaching as she thought she would have to call 911. I assured Carol that I would be fine if I could just quietly sit and regain my sanity.

Carol made me promise that the next course I take with her I clear my agenda so that I can be fully engaged in the course. Charlotte lovingly calls her mother Carol.

Disclaimer: Life is what it is and one can not predict what will happen, particularly when one books courses six months to a year ahead in time.

And sometimes art is at its best when we are in crisis.