Why Silk?

I consider silk the ultimate challenge as far as a painting surface goes. The fabric is a dream to paint on, smooth, soft, easy-- wait, it's not that easy to paint on. The paint runs all over it, it runs into other areas of paint. Silk is very absorbent and bleeds easily with liquid. What can be done to stop it? This is where it gets challenging.
Painting on silk requires special types if paint, or dyes, along with some special equipment and supplies. I suppose one could use regular artist paints like oils or acrylics, even watercolors, but these mediums do not lend themselves to silk as a painting ground. Silk painting is it's own medium with it's own set of rules, types of paints or dyes, and other supplies and equipment, some of which is foreign to traditional art. Some see it as a craft used in wearable art, scarves, banners, shawls, etc. Actually silk painting is a blend of traditional painting and craft painting for wearable art. Because it has it's own set of rules, equipment and supplies, to me, it poses the ultimate challenge in painting.
I first found it in a local craft supply store back in the 1980s. There was a display of watery paints and a book on how to use them. It looked interesting, so I bought some. However, upon reading the booklet I discovered there was no place in my area to buy the silk or it's unique supplies and equipment for painting, I shelved the idea along with the small jars if paint for a while. Then I stumbled across a book on silk painting, a real, how to book that showed supplies, techniques, the whole thing, along with many gorgeous pictures if equally gorgeous examples painted by the author. In the back if the book I found a list of suppliers, a treasure to someone who wanted to learn but had no place to get supplies. I immediately wrote for a company for their catalog.
I ordered a few things and from there my love affair with silk began.
Since then, some 30 years ago, I've learned by trial and error, through books, videos and now through fellow silk painters ( who've been painting on silk a lot longer than me) in social media. I soaked up information like a sponge. As of this writing I feel comfortable enough with the medium to share what I've learned and so this blog on silk painting was born, to share tips, techniques, successes, failures and other information about the art of silk painting. You will also find links to other silk artists and information about silk painting. Join me on the path. Please enjoy.