Featured Artist : Elizabeth Pena

Hi, my name is Elizabeth Pena. I started painting on silk scarves 5½  years ago when I was on sabbatical from UT Austin at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. That year, we went to the Fremont Art & Wine Festival, and I saw some painted silk scarves. They were really beautiful, and I thought I'd try it. I searched on the web and found Dharma Trading Co. and have been painting scarves ever since. I use fiber reactive dyes, using the serti technique. I use Sennelier Aqua Gutta. Highlights are usually done with Pebeo water based guttas (the metallic and pearl whites) as well as the Dupont colored gutta (for other colors). For black, I use Jacquard Silk Color.

I like to experiment with new products and fabrics. Mainly, I dye on the silk scarves, but I also dye cut velvet and other items as well. This last year or so, I've been doing Day of the Dead themes. I also have done some layered paintings. All these are inspired by everyday life and celebrations. I have a blog, where I post pictures of my work if you want to see more.