Patricia Elmes Farley

Patricia Elmes Farley has been making art-to-wear clothing since 1987. Batik is her favorite technique used to achieve the pattern and color of her fabrics. The wax flows from a traditional tjanting tool, brush or stamp as if it were flowing directly through her fingers. She works quickly, the wax working as both a containment line for the painted dye and as a design element. She mixes her own colors of dye, four or five in each layer and applies them with a brush. Once she starts to paint the fabric the process must continue till it is complete. The batik process is repeated with another layer of wax and dye. The painting is done. After washing, dry cleaning and ironing, the fabric is ready to be cut and sewn into a finished garment. The colors are from dreams and visions about the beauty of everyday objects.