About Silk & Steam Studio
I'm Chandramouli, an artist in Dublin, Ohio, working in two worlds that seem far apart: the fluid softness of hand-painted silk and the brass-and-gears imagination of steampunk.
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Self portrait
Silk
I have lived in the US for the past 40 years. During my working years, I found time for art in my leisure hours. I was fascinated by the work of the great silk painter Jean Baptiste of St. Lucia, and I learned a range of silk painting techniques. I was fortunate to receive written advice from him, and also from Karen Sistek, who introduced me to the wonderful "Magic Sizing" technique for painting without resist. I am grateful to both for their kind guidance.
Most of my work is self-initiated and focuses on animals and flowers.
Every silk piece starts as plain white silk, either stretched on a frame or ironed onto freezer paper. I outline the design with resist lines, or prepare the silk with sizing, then let the dyes flow and bloom across the fabric. No two pieces ever spread quite the same way. Some paintings are then steamed for hours so the dyes bond permanently with the fiber. That's the "steam" in the name: the quiet step that turns a painting into something that lasts.
Self portrait
Steam
My other love is steampunk, a new interest I discovered after retiring. I have created small sculptures from clay finished with metallic paint, and others built from gears, brass and found watch parts. They imagine a world where the Victorian age ran on clockwork and steam.
Self portrait
The peacock
The peacock in my logo brings both sides together: a tail of silk-colored feathers and a wing made from a brass gear.
Self portrait
Other media
I have also painted landscapes and animals in oils and acrylics. In school and college, I made pencil drawings and pen-and-ink sketches.
Self portrait
Other explorations
More than 30 years ago, at a SOFA exhibition in Chicago, I first saw the "reverse perspective" constructions pioneered by Patrick Hughes of the UK. I was fascinated, and I later built one of my own on a smaller scale. I have also built hanging kinetic mobiles inspired by Alexander Calder, the great artist who invented the kinetic mobile.
To reach me
Every piece is one of a kind, made by hand. I'd love to hear from you, whether with a question, a commission idea, or just to say hello: hello@silkandsteam.studio
To reach me
Every piece is one of a kind, made by hand. I'd love to hear from you, whether with a question, a commission idea, or just to say hello: hello@silkandsteam.studio
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