This life we live...it's strange, painful at times, but oh so beautiful.

I am a fusion dance artist and teacher, a fire dancer, and a visual artist. I draw inspiration from nature, music, and the amazing people that come into my life. I am also a conservationist who makes jewelry and found object multimedia craft type art in my spare time (when I'm not reading, writing, or lighting things on fire and dancing around with them). I love to dance barefoot on the beach, watch the stars move inexorably across the heavens, and to laugh with the people that I love. I am currently based in Greenville SC, working with Discordia Arts to provide unique and exciting entertainment to the Upstate.

Silk Painting

Oh the vibrancy, the shimmer, the pure beauty of paint on silk.
2010 Koi Silk Pillow

I began working with silk dyeing in 2007 in order to create bellydance veils for myself and my troupe, Sulukule in Athens, GA. I took a single class on vat dyeing silk and was hooked.

I began to experiment almost immediately with technique, color combination, fabric choice, and dye set methods. I am self taught in silk painting, but I learned early that silk is an unforgiving art form. Patience and attention to detail are necessary when working with silk, as is the ability to work extremely quickly. Once the dye dries, your work is permanent, or may as well be. It makes for a sometimes frantic but always exciting work experience.
Photo by Mark Cuddihee 2010

An unforgiving art form, yes, but extremely satisfying.

Most of my current work is done using a combination of brush painting and serti technique. I stretch silks on a wooden frame and use a water based resist to block out areas of fabric that will be painted a different color (such as the koi fish above) than the background. I then use a variety of painting techniques, as well as water, salt, and alcohol to achieve the desired results.

I have recently begun to experiment with diluted resists, metallic resists, and stop flow techniques to allow me to paint over background colors and achieve sharp print-like results. The combination of techniques is allowing me to create fabulous one of a kind silk paintings that are also affordable artwork for your home and body.
Hibiscus Detail on Scarf
All of my silks are wrapped in newsprint and steamed for a period of two hours, hand washed and ironed prior to finishing.

I draw inspiration for silk paintings from many different sources. I am currently working on a series of abstract pieces that showcase dancers and trees, using vibrant colors and bold lines to explore and express the emotions that I feel when I dance.

Water Lilies Silk Veil 2008


Owl 2009 Custom Silk Wall Hanging
 In addition to my abstract figures series, I am currently working on scarves for my summer 2011 series, experimenting with new dyeing techniques, and growing in my art form. I now offer silk hoop paintings, dance veils, throw pillows, wraps, ties, scarves, and wall hangings, and I have plans to begin experimentation with veil poi designs in the upcoming months.

I am constantly creating new silks, learning new techniques, and having a fabulous time dying my fingers all sorts of fascinating colors. If you would like to commission custom silk paintings or other wearable art work, please feel free to contact me.

To view a listing of pieces that I have currently for sale, visit my Etsy store.

2011 Silk Semi-circle Veil

Would you like to try silk painting or dancing with silk veils? I am available for instruction and parties in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Columbia, SC and could probably be convinced to travel farther if you ask nicely and provide some gas money to get me there and back. Email me at jaidra_art@yahoo.com for availability and rates.
Fan Dancer 2011 Silk Painting

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