FRONT & CENTER
Spirituality on silk
D
By Mala Blomquist
iane Fredgant white silk that is stretched was attending a using special pieces of drumming circle bamboo so that the silk can at an artist’s “float” in order not to have studio in Albuquerque, any creases on the finished NM, more than 25 years product. ago when she admired the Diane then places her woman’s painted silk artwork drawing under the silk and and asked her to create a uses a unique water-based wall hanging for her. When material called gutta that the artist told her that she acts as a resist to outline the thought she could make her design. own wall hanging, Diane “I'll draw my design on laughed. At the time, she was and then let it dry for 24 “Night Tree of Life” challah cover. a sculptor of stone and wood hours,” says Diane. “Then and had never even entertained becoming a painter. I check it and make sure I don't have any holes in the gutta “But then I painted my first piece, and I just fell in love. It line because if there are holes in that line when you put the was amazing,” remembers Diane. dye in it'll just seep into the next area, and sometimes that The first silk item she ever painted was a scarf for an aunt’s will ruin the piece.” birthday, and the second was the wall hanging. The next step is to lay out all the colors. She applies the “I just fell in love with it and bought a bunch of supplies color with calligraphy brushes that she obtained on a trip to and a steamer,” says Diane. She received minimal instruction China. Diane jokes that she is never that precise when she from the artist but learned a lot of it through trial and error. is mixing colors. “I will never be able to recreate something “She taught me how to process the silk and what part of exactly; everything is one of a kind from me – there is no the process to be careful with, and then you test things out. formula,” she says. “I just breathe and let go and go for it. You I'm still testing out new processes, new ways of working the have to work fast because if an area of the dye dries as you're material. It's always changing.” going along, it creates these lines. I work fast and let things Diane does a lot of custom tallit designs for clients. “I work flow together. It’s a form of ‘controlled chaos,’ because it isn’t with the bar/bat mitzvah person, or an adult, and I talk to something you can completely control – it’s a one-shot deal.” them about where they find their spirituality because a tallit After the piece is painted, there is a two-day drying is kind of a cave if you will,” says Diane. “A cave where you process, and then Diane steams it for 2 ½ hours to set the surround yourself, and you get in touch with the source. So color. She then hand washes the piece to ensure that all the it's like a personal prayer space.” excess dye is removed. As she talks to her client, she starts to visualize pictures The next step is to sew the painted silk into a tallit. Diane in her head, and she’ll begin a sketch. Diane will then turn uses high-end cotton to line the piece. those sketches into a life-size drawing and send photos to the “I go along the bolts of quilters cotton, and I just find that client for approval. Once she receives approval, and they have perfect color match; it’s usually just one,” says Diane. “If I decided on colors, she begins the piece. don't find it at my main store, then I go to another, and then Every tallit she creates starts with a large piece of pure another. I have three different stores I go to, and I know 32 MAY/JUNE 2021 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
