SILKWORMThe Magazine of Silk Painters International
Volume 18, Issue 1, 1st QuarterSPRING 2011
Karen SistekFlowers From the Heart
Performance Artist Lee Zimmerman’sSecret Garden
Master Silk Painter®Do You Have What it Takes?
SILKWORMVolume 18, Issue 1, 1st Quarter 2011
Table of Contents
FeaturesLee Zimmerman, Performance Artist
The Secret Garden in Silk - 3Karen Sistek, Flowers From The Heart - 8
“Only Silk” - First Exhibition by the Silk Painters of Ontario - 15
DepartmentsMessage From The President - 2
From the Editor’s Desk - 2Member Information - 6
Strictly Business Biz Plans Work Better with Stats! - 12
MSP® - The Evaluation Process - 7Mastering the Craft - Framing Silk Art - 13
Chapter News - 17Credits - 18
Please send Letters to the Editor. Stay in touch. We want you to be involved. If you have comments, complaints or suggestions, please let us know.
If you have photographs of your art that you would like to have used in the Silkworm (as fillers or whenever a picture may be needed or desired) send photos with your name and the name of the piece. The photo size should be minimum 5”x 7” and 300 dpi for best printing.
Please send correspondence or photos to [email protected].
Congratulations to Nandy King, Nadia Azumi, Betty Lathrop, Doris Knape, Marie-Jeanne Weerts, and Dana Roman.Their work has been included in the latest rotation of silk panels at the Ratner Museum in Bethesda, Maryland. These panels will hang from January to April 2011. If you’re in the area, please stop by the museum and support the exhibit. Stella Bernstein is the director of the museum. She takes a personal interest in the artists and the work on exhibit and leads numerous tours every week.The museum hosts receptions, private and community events every month.
Exhibit at the Ratner Museum in Bethesda, Maryland
Nature #76 by Dana Roman
Message from the President
Silk Painters International - what does that mean? We are actually spread out in all directions in this world. What can we do to better connect? What can we do to com-municate with each other and become a valuable link so that we can learn from each other, encourage each other? What does it take for SPIN to be worth your member-ship?
We can become isolated because of our craft. But what can we do to share and communi-cate so that the membership of this organi-zation can become a vital link to our profes-sion or fun hobby?
These are questions that I ask myself each day. We have the Facebook group and Yahoo silk painters. They are a great connection. Over 500 participants directed by Jean-Louis Mireault, [email protected]. Our website is also a useful tool; how can we make it better? Lee Zimmerman is our webmaster, [email protected].
Let me encourage everyone to start saving for the Festival in 2012. It will again be in Santa Fe, NM and will be here before you know it. It is a great place to meet people from around the world and the workshops inspire you to want to just go and paint. Would you like to help? Would you like to chair one of the events?
We encourage you to organize a Chapter in your area. I have found that surface design and quilting groups have similar areas of interest. Find 3 other artists and start your own chapter. We want to feature the chapters in our Silkworm and on the website. Send us your pictures and information. Let us know about your shows. If you need more information contact Stephany Andrews, Chapter coordinator at [email protected].
We also offer the Master Silk Painter (MSP®) designation. Suzanne Punch chairs the MSP® committee. What an honor to have MSP® as part of your title.
The Silkworm is our lifeline and link. Tunizia and Julie have done a great job; it has beautiful color as well as informative articles. Tunizia is also working on a Silk Painting screensaver with our members participating.
Last but not least, VP Kaki Steward, along with Gloria and Ted Bajo, have revised our Bylaws. They have added clauses on Chapters and voting online. Voting online will save time and money - $300-$400.
We are working to make SPIN a valuable tool for you and your work. How can we make it better? What do you want as a member? Please respond to us. Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Members are vital. I want to hear from you.
Blessings, Joyce, President of the Board of Directors
This time around, we have some great articles for you.
Our featured member is Karen Sistek, a warm, funny and inviting lady who paints flowers that make your heart melt.
Speaking of things floral, silk artist Lee Zimmerman, tells all about his performance adventure being part of the scenic design in a live play production.
Suzanne Punch, chair of the MSP committee, wants to help you pre-pare to become an MSP®.
Business woman and fine artist, Bonnie Samuel, talks about keep-ing up with how well your work is doing on the digital frontier.
And Diane Lawrence shares her unique method of archival framing of Silk.
All in all, this issue is packed with lots of information. Keep those e-mails coming. We use your inter-ests and concerns to determine what we will feature.
Please let me know what you want to see in the magazine. Write to me at [email protected].
Enjoy!
Tunizia,Editor-in-Chief
Fromthe
Editor’s Desk
Silkworm, Issue 1, 20112
The Secret Garden In Silk
My daughter Kier and I were in the Duluth Playhouse production of The Secret Garden. It ran fifteen shows over three weekends in late February and early March of 2010. This main stage musical was sold out through its entire run.
My role was unique in this production, was unique to this show and probably unique to live theater. I was the garden. I am a silk painter - an artist who paints on silk with special dyes. When I paint for an audience, I am on one side of a large white silk panel and the audience is on the other side. They cannot see me. When I paint, the dyes flow through the fiber and the audience can see the shapes appear on the silk, as if by magic.
The Story
“The Secret Garden” is based on a book published in 1910 by Frances Hodgsen Burnett. Almost every English speaking woman or girl that I know has read the story. It is about a little English girl, Mary, who has grown up in India. Her family dies and she is sent to live with her uncle in a gloomy Edwardian mansion on the moors. The whole house is in deep mourning since her aunt Lily died in childbirth ten years before. Mary discovers her Aunt’s secret
garden and through her own growth and healing helps everyone in the mansion to heal. During the course of the story the garden goes from winter, to spring, to full summer explosion which is a key metaphor for the healing in the story.
The Duluth Production
As a musical “The Secret Garden” won several Tony awards on Broadway in the early 1990’s. It has an operatic sense. The music is luscious and has complex harmonies. It has some of the most beautiful solos, duets, and trios ever created. The characters and the message of the story are powerful, bringing both sobs and laughter from the audience. The Duluth production was a mixture of professionals along with highly skilled amateur singers, and a live orchestra. It was a feast for the ears.
In November of 2009, Kier was cast as the central character, the little girl Mary. Kier has acting skills that my wife and I find very frightening as she had just turned 13. Taking her to rehearsals in December, the director commented many times that she wanted to find a way to make the garden a big part of the play. After obtaining permission
Mary: A garden. I’ve stolen a garden. But it may already be dead, I don’t know. From the Book, The Secret Garden
Lee Zimmerman
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from my daughter (after all, it was her show) I showed the Director, Julie Ahasay, the live silk painting performances that I had done in the past. She and her set designer quickly scrapped their original design and incorporated me into the production.
The Garden
The stage is very austere at the beginning. The curtain never closes on the stage. When the audience enters they see five, 5 feet wide and 20 feet high columns of white silk spaced in an arc on the stage. The characters can enter between the pillars and the action takes place in the circle formed by the pillars. On each of the pillars there are eight foot by five foot sections that are delineated by silk panels. The two sections at the side touch the ground. The other sections are elevated off the stage. The center section is the highest at about 4 feet off the stage. These sections are where I create the paintings.
The stage looks very stark and modern to begin with. This is very much in contrast to the highly ornamented style of the costumes and props. Locations are indicated through props being brought on stage and taken off.
The Show
I start when the music starts. I am the only thing happening for those first few moments. The audience then has a little time to register that I am painting. As the action of the play begins, they then have permission to forget about me as they focus on the actors instead.
When the overture starts, I paint a near lifesized portrait of Lily (Mary’s Aunt) in costume. Lily is a ghost in the musical and shows up as the object of Mary’s Uncle’s sadness and mourning. When the 2
minute overture is complete, Lily’s ghost appears and sings a song about flowers.
When Lily completes her song, the Dreamers appear. The Dreamers are the adults in India where Mary is living. The adults get sick and die from cholera. After the death of all of the adults the investigating officers discover Mary alive and send
her to her only living relative, her uncle in the English Moors.
When they reach the moors, I have painted an Edwardian Mansion on a Hill in the central panel. This matches the action on stage.
As the story develops, I move from panel to panel. In the opening act, I create the wall of the garden, layering in some dead
looking plants, ivy on the wall, and a blue sky. It looks like a winter garden in its dormant
state. I choreograph my movements so that I am painting on the opposite side of the stage from the action. This has the effect of people watching the action, then looking up and noticing that the scenery has changed – more is there.
I turn the original portrait of Lily into a Greek statue in a garden fountain. I also paint a wall in the central panel so the audience has a sense of seeing the mansion, in the distance over the edge of the garden wall. Near the end of Act 1, all the panels have a winter garden character with walls present.
At the very end of Act 1, Mary has found the key to the Garden but cannot find the door. She has also discovered her sick cousin, who has been hidden in the mansion. All hell breaks out, and she runs outside into a storm. During this time while the audience is distracted, I paint a huge door into one of the walls in about thirty seconds. Mary is led to it by the ghost of her Aunt. She has found the secret garden. That ends Act 1.
In Act 2, I begin to create the flower heads in black and white on the panels. These include the
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The Stage With White Silk Panels
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
shapes for violets, irises, gladioli, day lilies, crocuses and some English climbing roses. Since these are all black and white, there is still a dormant nature to the images but with more possibility.
In scene 4, Mary thinks that her aunt’s garden is dead. The servant boy Dickon, explains that the garden isn’t dead, its just waiting for Spring. As they sing their song “Wick, “ I hit every panel with big strokes of spring green. When I do this, I can sense the audience relaxing.
From this point on in the play, I fill the silk panels with flowers, exploding with color – always careful to be on the opposite side from the action. The sense from the audience, is that when they look away from the action, they see more of the garden has blossomed but they didn’t see me paint the blooms.
At the final duet, between the Uncle and the ghost Lily, all the panels are filled with flowers except the central panel. Also, none of the panels have red in them. When they complete their song, I begin to paint huge red English climbing roses on the central panel wall. This continues exploding
with color to the end of the show. The garden looks like glowing stained glass windows.
Final Notes
During the course of one show, I painted about 180 square feet of garden. Over its run including rehearsals, I painted 100 panels of silk. I went through seven bolts of silk. I used Sennelier dyes and 56” wide 12 mm silk satin. We sold at least one painting per show.
This show was the most exquisite process with which I have ever been involved. The story, the music, the acting, the singing and the painting seemed to meld into a single beautiful voice that really touched something very personal and universal.
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Lee Painting the Garden during the show
See more of Lee’s work atwww.duluthartists.org/zimmerman.html
Kier Zimmerman as Mary
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
The MSP® is a designation that SPIN created to acknowledge silk painters who have achieved a level of mastery with the art of silk painting.
To apply for the Master Silk Painter designation, the artist must be a member in good standing in SPIN for a year and they must have exhibited in two national or international juried SPIN events.
The deadline for the next induction round is May 1, 2011. Please see the website for further details on how to apply.
Grantwriter wanted. Looking for a volunteer to write a grant. SPIN needs a grant and is looking for a member who has grant writing experience. If you are qualified, or know someone who is, please contact [email protected].
Writers, Editors, Proofreaders. Looking for Silkworm staff. Good way to get writing credentials. Volunteer position, no pay. If you don’t know what to write, don’t worry. We will assign stories! Non-SPIN members receive a contributor’s copy of the magazine in which their work appears.If you have excellent English and Grammar skills and are interested in writing, editing or proofreading, please query at [email protected].
Conference Coordinators wanted. The 2012 team is forming! Need a conference coordinator for biennial conference in 2012. If you are available to volunteer for this very important job, please contact 2010 conference coordinator, Kaki Steward at [email protected]. Kaki will mentor new conference leader, making the transition as smooth as possible.
March 2012 – Batik and Rozome
June 2012 – Festival
September 2012 – Festival and Quilting
December 2012 – Sewing
If you would like to contribute to any of the above issues and are interested in submitting work to be reviewed by the magazine, please query [email protected]. Let us know what you have or what you’d like to submit.Future issues might include: Kimono, the ancient art of painting on silk, the history of painting on silk. If you have other ideas for future issues, let us know.
September 2011 – Shibori
December 2011 – Indigo Dying
All submissions remain the property of the artist.
All proceeds would go to SPIN, a non-profit organization, for the purposes of expanding SPIN ventures. The screensaver will be sold to the public to further promote the fine art of painting on silk. If your art is accepted for the screensaver, your work will be credited. A special place on our website will be created to feature and highlight your work. Check the website for details and submission guidelines.
SIGNATURE MEMBERSHIP
Future Issues for 2011
Possible Topics for 2012
CLASSIFIEDS
Ongoing display of 45 inch wide x 42 inch long silk panels. Open to SPIN members only. Next rotation, April 12, 2011 with show to be hung at the end of April. Submission Guidelines and other information available at: www.silkpainters.org/exhibits.html or e-mail Aileen at: [email protected].
Ratner Museum in Bethesda, Maryland.
CALL FOR ENTRIES MEMBER INFORMATION
Did you forget to renew? Please renew now. See page 21 for instructions on how to join or renew.
Silkworm, Issue 1, 20116
Screensaver for SPIN.
Am I good enough? Am I ready?It takes a lot of courage to put one’s self to the
test of applying for MSP Signature Membership. But think of it this way- did you get your Drivers License the first time around? Some people do. But for the rest of us, it also turns out to be a great way to find out what we still need to work on.
What takes place in each round of evaluations is strictly confidential. In the end, it’s not so much secretive as highly discreet. After all, for the applicants, no one else needs to know that you applied except you.
What are the things that really matter when applicants for MSP status are evaluated?
In addition to the information given at the SPIN site for the application process, here are some ways to look at what you are submitting from the MSP committee’s view:
Has the applicant really taken the time to send good quality images of their best work from the last 5 years? Even outstanding work won’t look it’s best with poor quality shots that need proper exposure, focus and basic cropping. For the evaluators, having a close-up shot or detail helps to confirm that the applicant not only has a unique vision, but also mastery of silk painting skills.
Also, good information, please! Tell us the title, size of the work and something about how you went about creating the image.
Has the applicant sent enough information in their resume to show that they have already been representing silk painting to the world? Conversely, too much information is just overkill. Keep this part of the application reasonable in length (the application says 1 to 3 pages) so we can get a basic sense of how and when and where you have been showing your work.
Has the work evolved beyond basic skills of handling gutta well and filling in color? Has the artist gone beyond predictable imagery that could have come from anyone? How good is the composition and sense of both positive and negative space?
Are the colors harmonious or dissonant as needed for the painting?
What is unique in the work of this particular artist?
Is there a maturity of expression that has come from working things out about what’s important to say in a painting and what to leave out?
Has the work contributed to the evolution of Silk Painting itself?
If the artist has a website (and this is not a requirement in the process) does it speak well of how the artist presents themselves to the world? Would that website speak well of Silk Painting to
the world?I can say, from numerous rounds of evaluations,
that the judges take the responsibility of evaluations very seriously. The work of each applicant is thoroughly viewed from the individual perspective of each MSP involved in the judging process. Most of the MSP’s put 2-4 hours into the evaluation of EACH applicant. It would be wise to spend at least that much time in making your application itself.
Once someone is accepted as being a Master of Silk Painting, the responsibility to carry on that high standard of judging each round of new applicants is the burden that comes with the honor.
For prospective applicants, read the application form carefully through before beginning your application. Don’t be discouraged by all the words! Remember, this is about your artistic work, once we’ve established your good standing as a SPIN member and exhibitor. Be proud of what you have accomplished in your life as a silk painter. Be willing to go on, whatever the outcome of this particular round.
Apply again, when you’re ready, if the first round doesn’t go the way you’d hoped.
In the end, the Master Silk Painters encourage every silk painter to strive towards their most excellent expression and sincerely wish the best for each artist.
Suzanne Punch, MSP® Chair, MSP® Committee
Master Silk Painters - The Evaluation Process
Painting, Dappled Light by Linda Bolhuis, MSP®7 Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
Karen SistekFlowers from the Heart
Karen’s flower paintings rival those of Georgia O’Keefe. They are close-ups, lush and juicy renditions of a world that most of us never get close enough to really see in such exquisite detail. O’Keefe once said, when asked why she paints flowers at such a close perspective, “I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.” This describes Karen’s detailed views of the inner world, the heart of flowers. She brings that perspective right into your face. The richness of the petals gives you a sensory experience – as if you can feel the soft fuzziness of the petals in your hand. You can almost smell their dew.
From her home in upstate Washington, near the Pacific Ocean, Karen is currently living out her second life. And while many of us have to purposely reinvent ourselves, Karen’s new course
in life seemed to just happen – a result of a natural and unplanned chain of events.
In the first part of her life she was a super-mom and military spouse. But since her husband retired from a 26-year stint as a pilot in the Coast Guard, Karen has been practicing her art.
With no professional art training or background, she is a self-taught artist. In her career as supermom, she enjoyed working with the children on various arts and crafts projects. “I volunteered from preschool all the way through high school. I was very, very active. I loved doing art projects with the kids. I loved that they had fun and realized, after the project, that they had ‘learned’ something in the process.”
After discovering silk painting, she devoured every silk painting techniques book she could find. She discovered Susan Louise Moyer’s books and
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by Tunizia Abdur-Raheem
“Pink Peony”
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
considers them to be the best of their kind. “Her books are the most informative and detailed in their instructions.”
She has since had the pleasure of meeting Susan Louise and, in fact, Susan Louise has become a mentor of sorts. “I got to take a class with her,” Karen gushes. “It was such an honor.” Karen credits Susan Louise with encouraging her in developing her painting skills. While Karen was still struggling to capture her vision onto silk and asking Susan Louise for pointers, Susan Louise commanded, “Karen,” she said. “Paint what you see.”
She discovered silk painting quite by accident. “At one time, I chose expensive designer fabric to sew onto sweatshirts. I then quilted the fabric and sewed on sequins and beads. While shopping in Oregon, the fabric store manager came up to me and asked if I painted my fabric. I said, no, but I would love to learn how.” She told Karen about a store called Daisy Kingdom in Portland that gave classes. “I signed up immediately and held my breath for the next 6 weeks until the day of the class finally arrived. It was a three-hour class. They taught a scarf project using the fixative fix dyes, Jacquard green label. I didn’t sleep or eat, and ignored my family for the next five days – and nights – experimenting and painting.” She has been going ever since.
Art is now her fulltime job. “I spend about 10 to 12 hours a day in my studio.” As she works, time seems to just slip away.
In addition to having a great new career, Karen is also fortunate to have a husband who is very supportive and quite handy. Karen and Rick recently celebrated their 49th anniversary of “going steady” – they were high school sweethearts. They have been married for 43 years.
Rick acts as Karen’s business manager and promoter. “I’m very lucky. I have no time to pursue marketing. Rick handles all of that.” Rick has also taken over some of the chores on the home front, such as cleaning, housework, running errands and preparing delicious meals. “He beeps me on the intercom, and asks, ‘when you do want to eat dinner?’ I pinch myself, then answer, ‘six and a half
minutes’. His reply? ‘Is that “Karen time or real time?’ I am so very blessed!”
Owing to problems with her neck, Karen is unable to bend over a painting for long periods of time. So she designed a method, using bungee cords, where she could paint with the silk suspended directly in front of her. When she was chosen to participate in a SPIN-sponsored show featuring silk painted orchid banners, Karen needed special painting accommodations – the banners were 3 feet wide by 9 feet long. Since she couldn’t bend over the silk, she needed to have the silk suspended. “There was only one place in the house big enough to accommodate the painting. This was in the front entry of our house, where our ceilings are 15 feet tall.” Rick designed and built the scaffolding that Karen used to paint the banner.
In 2004, along with eight other silk painters, Karen participated in the show held
in Washington, D.C. at the US Botanic Garden. “Orchids- Beauty and Beyond!” was the name of the show and was a product of former SPIN Executive Director, Diane Tuckman’s efforts. “I am so grateful to Diane for getting us that show. I’d love to do it again.” Karen describes how she and Rick flew to Washington D.C. to attend the show. And she and the other artists engaged the crowds. “We did talks and demonstrations. It was busy
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“Lynda Veronica”
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
“Stephen
everyday that we were there. I would look up, and there were lines flowing out the doors.”
As a result of the success of this show, she and three other artists formed a group, Silk Synergy, which has continued to display silk banners at other orchid shows.
Karen has found a way to eliminate the tedious gutta lines. She does not use gutta to contain the dyes. Instead, she uses a laundry fabric finish sizing that she sprays onto the silk fabric. Saturating the stretched silk with this spray-on sizing, she first
allows the silk to dry. She then transfers her pattern that she has drawn onto drafter’s paper onto the silk using a refillable pen filled with sizing that has been tinted with black dye. Then she applies her colors using Jacquard red label dyes. The sizing application fills the fibers of the silk. She describes this as a watercolor effect. “The paint doesn’t flow in quite the same way as on untreated silk.” Karen uses a scrubbing motion to move and blend the dyes on the silk.
This method is similar to other methods that stop the dyes from flowing onto silk. However, unlike
some of these other treatments, Karen’s method doesn’t affect the intensity of the dye color. In fact, the vibrancy of the dyes seems to be enhanced. “As the dyes remain more concentrated when they do not flow, the colors are so rich, deep and beautiful. You can use salt and alcohol techniques. They have their own unique quality, though. It’s not quite the same as on untreated silk.” After steaming, the sizing rinses right out.
She then mounts her art onto prepared canvas, adhering the silk to the canvas using a matte medium varnish. She learned this mounting
technique from friend and fellow silk painter, Sandra Kay Johnson and Sandra’s book, “My Silk Painting and Mounting Process.” She dilutes the matte medium 50 percent with water. She cautions not to put too much of the varnish on the silk. She also describes the varnish as further enhancing the color. “When the varnish touches the silk, it intensifies the colors even more. The colors are similar to what the dyes look like when the silk is wet.”
Regarding the raging debate among silk artists about mounting silk in such a way that the silk is
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permanently altered, Karen sighs. “I know there is disagreement over how silk should be presented. I have framed some of my pieces. Framing is so expensive, though. You have to find a reputable framer who knows what they’re doing. I would prefer that the client be able to focus on the painting cost, rather than having to dedicate a huge portion to the framing. And it sells really well!”
Mounting the silk in the center of canvas, Karen leaves a border of canvas to “frame” the work. “I think it sells so well because it’s very different. It looks like it’s floating on the wall.”
Karen’s presentation of her work is less expensive and does not negatively impact the beauty of the work. In fact, three galleries currently represent her. Clearly neither the galleries nor her customers mind. Even in the current economy, she’s doing okay. “Sales have gone down. I’ve still gotten commissions and I’m teaching classes. It’s going along.”
Her works are usually named for people. Does this have some significance? “I started the very first
one in honor of their support for me and it grew from there.”
In addition to doing her paintings, she also teaches in her studio. Sometimes, her studio attracts more than just students. “It has become a meeting place. People come and we talk. People talk about many different things. It’s becoming very spiritual.”
While some artists worry about giving away too much or having their work or ideas stolen, Karen gives freely. She shares her knowledge, her experience and her time. If she’s learned something from someone else, she shares this too. “I’m thrilled to share. “It’s good for the soul.”
When asked if she has any advice for other aspiring silk painters, she replies, “Experiment is the whole thing. Don’t be discouraged. Keep painting. Go with the flow. And go with your heart.”
According to Karen, she’s living her dreams. “I am as infatuated with silk art, as I was the first time I touched my brush to silk more than 20 years ago. The blending of brilliant dyes on luxurious silk has captured my attention and I never want to let go!” Let’s hope she never does.
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If you want to know the products Karen uses, contact her through her website where you can also
view class information, projects, and a student’s gallery at www.karensistekstudio.com.
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
The last couple of years, art sales have dropped substantially if not dried up completely for many artists. So with the change of a single digit on the calendar, we start anew. What has changed? Do you have a plan?
2010 proved trying, frustrating and full of uncertainty, most particularly for the market/selling side of an artist’s life. For many of my artist friends, there was the scramble to reinvent one’s style or form of art to match whatever one thought would sell -- smaller, different medium, latest craft fad, whatever. Then take the new product to the Internet, jump on several art e-commerce sites and... well, not much changed.
Coming from a business organizational background, I have practiced what I used to preach about planning. I start each new year reviewing my own art business plan that I wrote the year before and revise it for the coming year. Fortunately for me in 2010, I had intentionally planned a year of mastering techniques, learning, building a body of work AND watching and tracking marketing options. While my emphasis was art development, I also explored social media and set up on a couple of art marketing sites to test the marketing possibilities -- part of the plan you see.
One could easily deplete all your studio time on the internet. And everyday, there is something new in sites, SEO (search engine optimization) , devices -- all promising to make you a big success overnight. Snake oil comes to mind. I prefer stats.
Statistics are invaluable, save you time and money, and give direction too. How do you know if being on Facebook, Tweeting or chatting here and there is doing anything to promote you as an artist or market your art? How do you know if other sites where you’ve established a presence are generating visits to your art site? Does your blog have a following? How do you know?
Bring your marketing into focus by using a tracking system. Either set up a stats system (Google Analytics, for example) on your own website or choose a good art marketing site that has this feature. Please note that there are many factors to marketing not covered here, but in the end, stats will tell you whether any of it is working!
Let’s say you have a website with good photos of your beautiful work. You have a blog, write some interesting pieces, you Tweet, have a Facebook Fan page and post there regularly too. You do a decent job of promoting your art and your website. Do you? What do your stats tell you? When you Tweet or post on FB (assuming you ALWAYS include your URL), is that bringing visitors to your website? Which sites/posts are generating visitors/buyers to your site? What pages do they visit? How long do they stay? Does anyone read your blog? What is working, what is not? Where do you need to make changes?
Monitor your stats over time and look for trends. For example, when you blog, which we assume is a regular feature, do you see a spike in your stats? Return visitors? If you don’t see a change or very little change, then examine how you promote your blog, links embedded in it and content too. Is it interesting, timely, well written? Your stats should tell you the social media sources for your visitors, unique or repeat, what pages they visited, and how many clicked through to your website or sales site.
Bring your plan into focus with stats. Oh, and write a business plan too.
Bonnie Samuel, Artist
http://bonniesamuelartist.com
Biz Plans Work Better with Stats!
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I fell in love with silk painting over 10 years ago. After taking several workshops to get my feet wet, I began to produce a flurry of silk art that was ques-tionable in quality. Finally I produced a piece that I felt warranted framing. I ap-proached three different frame shops in my area in-quiring how the silk would best be framed. Dry mount-ing was the answer I got ev-ery time.
Dry mounting requires that the fabric be glued to some medium, usually foam core or mat board. Then a combination of pressure and heat adheres the fabric into place. It is considered permanent.
I didn’t know anything about framing silk art but the
A. Cover a work surface with a sheet or cloth to prevent slippage of silk. It would be ideal if you could also iron on this surface if needed.B. Measure the actual image that you want showing in your frame. After this add at least 1/2 to 1 inch on to that measurement. The reason you will need this extra fabric is for wrapping the silk around the edge of the foam board.C. Cut a piece of acid free foam board the image size in another area besides on the cloth. Doing this will avoid contaminates getting on your cloth such as bits of foam board, dust, etc.D. Place silk that has been steamed and finished with the image side down on the covered work surface.E. Cut the flannel slightly smaller than your silk by 1/4 to 1/2 inch. If necessary iron the flannel. Place flannel on top of silk.
words of a former professor kept coming to mind. “Never frame your art in a manner that will damage the art or that cannot be changed without damaging
the art.”I also knew that fabric,
like paper, would flex with humidity and I didn’t want to lose the quality or sheen of the silk by gluing it down.
So this is the archival method I’ve come up with. This method of framing floats the silk on top of the mat board. There is no contact between the glazing and the silk. Flannel is used under the silk to cushion the edges when it’s stretched so there is no damage to the silk over a period of time
when the silk flexes.
1. Acid free linen tape 1” wide, moisture activated, cut in 2” pieces2. Acid free foam core, 1/8” thickness3. 100% white cotton flannel, washed and ironed (all new materials contain formaldehyde, washing will remove this chemical) 4. White glue, such as Elmer’s5. Regular foam board, 1/8” thickness6. Floater frame profile 50, Designer molding7. Pressing cloths or some type of cloth to protect when ironing8. Plexiglass for glazing9. Acid free mat board
Directions
Materials needed
Framing Silk Artby
Diane Lawrence
Photo of a finished piece mounted using this method.
13 Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
F. Place cut piece of acid free foam board on top of silk and center it so the edges will be in alignment with your image. I do this by carefully lifting up the flannel to see where the foam board lines up with the image.
G. Starting with the longest side of the image apply moistened pieces of linen tape to the silk that has been gently brought up over the edge of the foam board. Make sure you apply pressure so it will adhere properly.H. Allow this side to dry completely before going to the opposite side. Then gently stretch the silk and also fasten with linen tape. Don’t stretch too tight or the foam board will warp or you may cause damage to the silk.I. To finish the remaining ends you will have to first cut the fabric at the corners in opposing diago- nals. See diagram below.
A. Decide on the borders you want around your image and cut your mat board that size.B. Cut regular foam board that same size.C. Glue mat board to regular foam board with white glue. Make sure you’ve used enough glue so that the mat board is completely attached to the foam board. Weight down, if necessary, and let dry.D. On the back side of your stretched silk painting, apply dots of white glue on the acid free foam board. Do not apply glue to any of the silk.E. Carefully center silk painting on the mat board, place a clean piece of foam board on top and weight down with books overnight.F. Assemble three sides of your frame.G. Slide mounted artwork into frame, along the largest side. Check for lint, etc., and remove debris.H. Clean plexiglass and gently slide in last piece of the frame. Assemble last piece of frame and attach wire.
Please note if using wooden frame custom spacers will need to be made to separate the silk and glazing (glass). The size of these spacers will depend on the depth of your frame.
Mounting Silk Painting to Mat Board
14 Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
Eighty–one silk paintings plus giclee prints, scarves, home décor items and note cards comprised our first silk exhibition for two weeks at the end of last year. The show was hung in Beaux-Arts Gallery, a busy cooperative gallery in Brampton, close to Toronto, Canada.
We were very happy with the exposure gained by our first exhibition. One hundred and twenty people came to artists’ reception. This was almost twice the predicted number. Another 80 showed up to see the exhibition and watch the silk painting demonstrations on the last weekend. The public was uniform in its praise of our first show.
And we were frankly excited by the comments of other professional artists who came to see it. These artists were extremely positive. They said they were overwhelmed by the vibrancy of colour, that it was “uplifting to their spirits.” How sweet the praise of peers!
Five paintings were sold along with scarves, cards and other items.
G&S Dye, Canada’s leading supplier of silk painting products, donated a People’s Choice award. All visitors loved the idea of voting for the “best,” took the process very seriously and became more involved in the exhibition. One of the gallery’s studio artists had difficulty voting, as each day, he noticed a new painting which became his favourite. In the end, the People’s Choice was a three-way tie of “The Lily Field” by Kety Bagwalla, “Poppies” by Henny Dagenais and “Petal Power” by Judith Meeks. For one of the winners, it was the first silk painting she ever did!
The Silk Painters of Ontario has been a local chapter of SPIN since 2008, but has been meeting as a silk painting group for about five years. Members live within a three-hour drive of the Beaux-Arts Gallery. The 12 members of The Silk Painters of Ontario meet twice a year to paint together for three or four days. Three of our members are full-time artists, several are working artists and some are artists for family and friends.
“Only Silk” First Exhibition by The Silk Painters of Ontario
byJudith Meeks
15
Beaux-Arts Gallery in Toronto, Canada
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
“Petal Power” by Judith Meeks
Planning for our exhibition began one full year prior, when we put down our deposit for rental of this busy gallery. The process was led by our chapter president, but there were more than enough tasks for all. We decided the exhibition would be open to all members and only members, and would not be juried. We established some exhibition guidelines, which helped us prepare. For example, each member was to bring five to eight pieces of which at least five would be hung. All work had to be hand-painted i.e., no microwave scarves.
Staging a successful exhibition is not inexpensive, even in a cooperative gallery. Our
treasurer kept a rein on the budget. In addition to a fee required from each member, members were
asked to solicit donations from local businesses. The monies were used for gallery rental, reception costs and to undertake the advertising and promotion necessary to publicize our event. Each member sent out printed invitations. Notices were put in local newspapers and provincial art
magazines. Members gave interviews to local papers
and a TV morning show.
We set the exhibition date so that it would coincide with one of our painting workshops. This worked out well as visitors were able to wander into the workshop space and gain an understanding of
“The Lily Field” by Kety Bagwalla
“Poppies” by Henny Dagenais
16
(All Photographs taken by Marg Ray and Judith Meeks)
Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
the silk painting process. They went back into the gallery and asked more questions about the art they saw.
For some of our members, this was the first time they had exhibited their work. It was a confidence
Here’s a list of currently formed Chapters. There are 10 Chapters with more forming everyday. If you live near one of them and would like to join, contact the Chapter Coordinator/Chair. Thanks to Stephany Andrews for volunteering to coordinate the Chapters. If you need help forming a Chapter, e-mail Stephany.
building experience for all of us – in our own painting skills and in our ability to organize a successful event together. We have already started the process of planning our next exhibition.
Rocky Mountain Silk Painters Denver, CO, USA Carol Garnard, [email protected]
San Diego Silk Guild San Diego, CA, USA Addie Chernus, [email protected]
Silk Painters of Ontario Ontario, Canada, USA Kety Bagwalla [email protected]
Sunflower Silkers Topeka, KS, USA Diane Lawrence, [email protected]
Spin Off Rockville, MD, USA Nadia Azumi, [email protected]
Atlanta Chapter and Beyond Atlanta, GA, USA Hellenne Vermillion, [email protected]
Swiss Mountain Painters Berne, Switzerland Ursula Wamister, [email protected]
New Mexico Silk Painters Guild Albuquerque, NM, USA Suzanne Visor, [email protected],
Piedmont Silk Painters North Carolina, USA Deborah Younglao, [email protected]
Silk Artists of California Central California, USA Stephany Andrews, Chapter CoordinatorCoast (SACCC) [email protected]
Back Row: Henny Dagenais, Helen Duplassie, Dianne Sutter, Ingrid Sestito, Nell CrathernFront Row: Ruth Croteau, Judith Meeks, Kety Bagwalla, Helen Purvis, Marg RayAbsent: Barb Hilts and Sandra Graham (who did not exhibit)
CHAPTER NEWS
17 Silkworm, Issue 1, 2011
SILKWORM
CREDITS
Editor-in-Chief: Tunizia Abdur-RaheemFashion Editor: Julie Cox HammFirst Proofreader: Kaki StewardSecond Proofreader: Phyllis GordonArt Director and Layout: Tunizia Abdur-Raheem
Front Cover: “Deborah Joy” by Karen Sistekwww.karensistekstudio.com
Back Cover: “After the Rain II” by Linda Bolhuis®www.lindabolhuis.com
Photographs of Karen Sistek and her works copyright Karen Sistek.
All photographs of Silk Painters of Ontario Show copyright Marg Ray and Judith Meeks.
Screensaver Photo: “Event Horizon” copyrightTunizia Abdur-Raheem.
“Four Magpies” copyright Nandy King“Nature #76” copyright Dana Roman
Reach Diane Lawrence at www.dlstudiosonline.com
To become a member of SPIN, visit www.silkpainters.org/membership.html
Membership is $40 USD annually and renewable in January of each year.
Send change of address to
SPIN Membership c/o Christine Sutherland Fine Arts, LLC 13835 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 9-449 Phoenix, AZ, 85032 USA or email: [email protected]
Look for us on Facebook.
SILKWORM is the quarterly magazine of SPIN -- Silk Painters International -- a nonprofit organization of silk artists, painters, practitioners, and educators. SPIN provides its members opportunities to network with kindred spirits and to grow through workshops, conferences, juried competitions, and gallery exhibitions. Material contained in The Silkworm belongs exclusively to The Silkworm and/or the artist. Do not reprint without written permission.
Volume 18, Issue 1, 1st Quarter 2011
Don’t forget to renew your membership.Membership renewals are due in January.
Four Lucky Magpies’ by Nandy King
Website: www.silkpainters.org
spin Silk Painters International
Promoting the Fine Art of Silk Painting Around the World
The SILKWORM28364 S. Western Ave., No. 463Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275USA
