Artist Name: Johanna Tiemann

The very first time I touched silk with a brush full of dye, I was exhilarated. The color became intense and deep, and the silk did its thing, making the dye appear to glitter, adding a subtle dimensionality. I was transfixed. Over the years, I struggled to master these media. I found it challenging to control the dye and to achieve the effects that I desired.

At some unexpected point, I had an epiphany. I realized that I was not to be master of these media. I accepted that the silk and dye interact, and that my role was to attempt to mediate between them. I am a collaborator, not the master. Once I gave up control and let the magic happen, I became more at one with my work. This was a lesson that made a major shift in my perception of what is worth trying to control, and what to let be.

Nature inspires me, and I am drawn to paint what I see there. My eyes and mind bask in the colors while my mind analyzes the forms that hold them. I still try to control dye with resists such as wax and water-based gutta to recreate what I see, but these methods of control are no longer my “go tos.” I no longer rush to fix breaks in my lines. I now know that in nature as in life, something beautiful may happen if I stand aside and let the colors play.

Western Avenue Studios

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Johanna’s Dream

Johanna’s Dream

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