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Introduction

The Indonesian batik art

panels in this book are

wonderfully beautiful and

executed by experienced

men and women artists in

Java and other parts of

Indonesia. I have come to

love the art created by these

incredibly talented artists,

becoming quite passionate

about the creation of

batik art panels. We hope

that you will join us in this

journey to Indonesia.

The Fair Trade Movement

Seven years ago, my husband, Dave, and I merged our business, Artistic Artifacts, with Batik Tambal. This allowed us to expand our product offerings to include Indonesian Batik Panels. Owners of Batik Tambal, Trish & Owen Hodge brought this wonderful textile art with them to the US from Indonesia over 20 years ago.

We are a part of the “Fair Trade” movement, and we pay the asking price for the panels. In doing so, we have created long-term relationships with these talented artists. By purchasing these panels, we are helping provide a living wage to them, their families, and in turn, their communities.

Batik Artists

Batik is an art form of intricate design and brilliant colors, and the fabrics depict the culture and environment of the island.

Indonesia has a heritage of rich textiles and on the island of Java, batiks, a dye and wax resist process, has risen to a standard of the highest quality. Our batik artists are men who continue to work with fine art mediums, including life size acrylic paintings and panel designs. Some teach in universities and are a part of the launching of this “new” art form.

The panels are completed in a cooperative environment of workshops in their homes. Women create the panel details, following decades of old tradition. This practice was regarded as an important part of a young woman’s accomplishment to be capable of applying the fine detail often seen in Batik cloth.

Batik Panels

Batik is a technique of wax-resist and dyeing. Starting with a freehand sketch or an illustration traced onto white, tightly woven cotton fabric, a canting tool, shown here, is used to apply wax in lines and dots. The wax resists the dye as color is applied to the fabric. The wax is removed with boiling water, and the process can be repeated to add additional colors.

The finished panels come to us pressed and ready to incorporate into our artwork. We think of it as a long distance partnership between the Indonesian artist and the artist who incorporates it into their artwork, quilts, or clothing.

Panel Basics

A panel can be any piece of fabric that you especially love. Fabric companies sometimes create panels along with their collections. This may be seasonal, specific to a theme, or a creation of the designer’s inspiration.

The panels in this book focus on those created by the artists of Indonesia. I love the artistry and detail in them. Using these panels in my creations has become a passion of mine.

Whatever you choose, any of the following techniques can be applied to your panel choice.