Unique and possessing a stunning vitality, Cindy Wilson’s indigo batiks will be featured at Butterfield Garage Art Gallery during the month of February. The show, titled Midnight in the Garden of Indigo, results from Cindy’s focus in 2019 learning to use indigo dye for batiks. The infinite shades of blue, and the extreme lightfastness of indigo intrigued her, and indigo research and dye vats soon took over her studio. Dying with indigo requires both science and art. The results are batiks that have an other worldly feel, a haunting stillness, and though the images are beautiful, they reveal an incomplete visual story. These monochromatic images will encourage the viewer to see the familiar in a new light as well.
Cindy’s batiks are known for the high level of detail and painterly quality she is able to express with the medium. A long background of drawing has guided her work. Cindy uses a tjanting tool from Indonesia to apply hot wax much in the same way as an artist uses a quill to lay down ink. Layer by layer the liquid wax seals the color she wants to preserve, before the next dye is applied. Her process of building colors directly on the fabric is unique, and creates the depth of color seen in her batiks. “Balancing the technical process while keeping a feel of spontaneity is my overall focus as I work on a piece” Cindy explains.
She was born in Philadelphia, and grew up living up and down the east coast. Her natural talent and aptitude for art was apparent at an early age, and encouraged by a grandmother who painted. After numerous changes in her college major, Cindy graduated with a degree in Graphic Design from the University of North Florida. After a 30-year career as an award winning graphic artist and owner of a full-service design firm, she retired in December 2013. She initially learned batik from a workshop with Wendy Tatter in St. Augustine, and was so charmed by the technique she began to exploring batik on her own. Cindy now works most days in her studio, experimenting with wax and dyes.
During the past five years, Cindy’s work has caught the attention of both jurists and collectors. She has been included in numerous regional shows and her batiks grace the homes of many collectors around the country. She teaches her technique in classes at The Bascom Center for the Arts in Highlands NC, as well as locally. On Friday, February 7 at 6pm, Cindy will present an artist talk explaining her process and experiences of working with indigo. A short history of indigo and its role in St. Augustines past, plus a hands-on demonstration of batik and the indigo dying process will be presented on Saturday, February 22 at Butterfield Gallery.
Butterfield Garage Art Gallery is located at 137 King Street. Visit them online at www.butterfieldgarage.
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