Featured Artist : Ivan Haworth

My name is Ivan Haworth and I do batik and tie-dye. I am compelled to create, and discovered batik about 15 years ago by accident when exploring the Dharma Trading hard copy catalog looking for tie-dye materials. I am particularly drawn to batik because of the process. I am not a very good artist, truth be told, but find ways to express myself utilizing the technical aspects of batik. I enjoy the smell of hot wax, and the one-off nature of the medium. By that I mean the extreme difficulty in 'erasing' mistakes. You have one good crack at it, and some of my best pieces have been the result of troubleshooting errors.

I am happily divorced with equal custody of my three children, and earned a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the tender age of 35 after spending my 20s running a head shop and growing pot in Hawaii. I live in East Tennessee now and work for the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I live on 26 acres, and have no internet or video games at my house. I have an amazing studio, and when my children are with me we spend our time adventuring in the woods, playing in the creek, climbing trees, and doing art.