In-process photo of artist Gigi Mederos painting a silk scarf – from 2012

We thought it would be worthwhile to post some in-progress photos of silk scarves in the making. Above, is a shot that shows Gigi Mederos painting the first coat of blue paint. In this photo, you can still see the gutta that she painted on the fabric first. Like using wax as a barrier in the batik technique, gutta, a water-soluble resist,  acts as a barrier and keep one color from running into another. You’ll also notice the frame she’s using which she designed and built herself. Works better than commercially-available models!

Close-up of artist Gigi Mederos working close up to the scarf – from 2012

Photograph #2 shows the artist working extremely close to the surface of the scarf. Even though the gutta provides a barrier, if you want to keep one area clean from another, you do have to be careful. The scarf she is working on here is approximately 8 inches wide by 4 feet long and the colors she’s working with here are mixed by the artist herself.

Birds-eye view of artist Gigi Mederos painting her newest silk scarf – from 2012

In this shot from above, you can see the entire dashboard of her working area in the studio – also getting a nice view of the tension system on the frame she works with on the silk panels. These shapes were taken directly from stamps that Gigi carved over the winter from 2011-2012. The stamps were enlarged and either used as single images or in stamped patterns as seen here.

Detail of Adriana “Gigi” Mederos’ completed silk scarf – from 2012

Photograph #4 is a detail of the finished scarf. There are still steps to the process left to be done – like washing out the gutta and ironing the scarf, but the design and the painting is finished here. This is one of my favorite scarves she has done to date because it feels like an extremely contemporary kuba cloth. To see more of her work, stop by during the Grand Opening of Aquatro Gallery, Friday May 25th, from 6-9 p.m. Memorial Day weekend.