Johanna’s Dream

Johanna’s Dream is the name of my silk painting studio because it is product of my circuitous, life-long path towards working as a visual artist. In 2020, I was accepted into the Lofts at Western Avenue in Lowell, MA, a juried intentional community for artists.  I left New York City to join this group of brilliant people. It is a dream come true. 

For as long as I can remember, I have loved creating art using various media, particularly paint, dye, and fabric.  About fifteen years ago, it suddenly occurred to me that I could try painting on silk, and bought supplies so I could experiment.  As soon as I felt the brush hit the silk, saw the color explode and expand, I was in awe. I quickly found a vital culture of silk artists within the New York metro area, including Master Silk Painters Sissi Siska and Suzanne Punch. 

Painting on silk is a labor-intensive process, but the steps towards creation of a painting have become part of the ritual of creation.  The painter must scour the silk, stretch it on the frame, apply resists, carefully paint with dye made especially for silk, steam the finished painting for hours using a silk steaming apparatus, then wash the painting with textile detergent.  Sounds straight forward, but understand that there are invariably unpredictable outcomes. Each color of dye seems to have its own personality, and sometimes dyes don’t play well together.  Resist lines may have imperceptible holes in them, creating leaks of one color into another.  Steaming also can have unforeseen impacts on the painting.  And how much dye will wash out in the final rinse?

As frustrating at as the unpredictable nature of this art can be, being out of control has its benefits.  Sometimes absolutely fabulous effects occur at the moments of mishap.  As my art has progressed, I have learned to let the dye take the lead.  Learning to let go of perfection, as silk painting has taught me, has brought greater freedom to my spirit in general. – Johanna Tiemann