Once a Scarf 3 is painted on a 16mm Crepe do Chine silk scarf using Jacquard Red silk dyes. This piece began its life as a scarf.
I painted the silk in many layers, building color, pattern, and movement slowly across the surface. Each layer added something new—deep reds, burgundy, warm ochres, flashes of brilliant pink, and the repeated lines and circles that give the piece its rhythm. I was fascinated by how the layers interacted, creating a surface that felt almost woven rather than painted.
But when the scarf was finished, I wasn't happy with the edges. They didn't have the finished quality I wanted for a wearable piece. I could have put it aside, but I kept coming back to the painted silk. There was something in it that deserved to be seen.
So I changed its purpose.
Once a Scarf 3 is a reminder that artwork doesn't always end up where it begins. Sometimes a piece reveals what it wants to be only after the original plan shows it needs a design change!
Once steamed, a section of the scarf was trimmed and varnished on to canvas for display. Cotton thread embellishment enhances border.
