Batik painting--dragonflies--on cotton--signed-45x144cm

This batik painting measures 45 x 14422cm, is intricately worked by a popular artist and is signed.  It is on cotton and can be framed, mounted or hung, or used as a centre quilt block or for a sewing or beading project.  The possibilities are endless.

Batik is a wax-resist technique with the wax applied by chanting, brush and sponge.  A chanting is a tool with a spouted metal bowl attached to a handle and is used for the fine details.  The artist fills the bowl with wax and then does the outlines and other fine details.  This requires great skill because if the wax is too hot it will run and blot, and if too cold it will simply clog the spout.  Some artists pencil in the original outline of the design from a template while others draw freehand or create the design as they apply the wax.  After each wax application the fabric is dyed and the colour then set.  The final process is to immerse the panel in boiling water to remove the wax.  Therefore, this panel is colourfast.