Daniel Jean-Baptiste Silk Habotai Painting For Le Noeud Papillon - Part 2

In my youth I had an art teacher that inspired me to start drawing. For weeks on end I was trying to get to a point in pencil that I thought was life-like. Towards the third week I remember asking Ms. Palmer if I had any talent and she said she couldn't answer that for me. It was taken, at my tender age of twelve, as a brutal rejection. My point being one that is somewhat didactic, don't lose faith! I am quite certain that Daniel Jean Baptiste did not start as such an amazing artist. His journey is like that of anybody with great skill, it is a commitment to a process. In the process of getting to the second stage, Daniel answered some questions about the work below.

What dimensions is the silk habotai and when choosing to work with gutta lines as you do, is there a rough size canvas you need in order to make shapes that work with the viscosity of the gutta?

The  minimum dimensions are 30” x 40”, but I actually prefer 40” x 50”. The reasons is that a larger canvas  allows for  more complex gutta designs, and it  is a lot easier  to work in a larger format when using silk as a medium.

When creating the bow ties, what was the most difficult aspect of painting a form which wasn't natural but inspired by man made textiles?

I had no difficulty in incorporating the bow ties, I simply see them, as  I do in all my creations,  as part of a Dream.  I create art based on my childhood experiences and that connection to beautiful things, and the bow ties were very  exciting in colour and design. 

How long did you roughly spend on each stage, from sketching to gutta to painting to finishing?

This sketch did not take  too long because  most of the composition  had been established already from  another painting, but normally this is the hardest part  and usually takes up to a week  just to create a rough composition. The  wax lines take  4 – 6 hours and the actual painting of the piece 6 hours. When painting with  liquid  pigments it is very important to work fast, and you only  have one  chance to apply the colours  without making  any mistakes as  once the colour goes on  it can’t come out.

Creating gutta lines for the bows and butterfly

Can you tell us about the paints you used on this particular work - did you mix the colours yourself and roughly what paint colours did you choose to start with?

The paints are water based liquid pigment created for silk. I did all the testing of the colours  and quality for the Toronto based company over the last decade.  I always mix  colours by starting to paint the more exciting parts of the design. I mix  colours  like a chef mixes  seasonings, by feel.

The mixing pots of dyes for silks

Given you have now covered fish, plants, inspects and more, is there are particular part of nature that keeps you coming back to it?

My  art  keeps getting better, by that I mean  that  as I am getting more mature my observations  of nature are becoming more  detailed, and  I find myself  doing old subjects but with more passion and expression.

If someone wished to a collaborative work with you, are you available for commissions?

I am available  for commissioned collaborative work.

Many great artists have always done a painting on the fruit bowl - it seems to be a rite of passage - have you done your fruit bowl yet?

 I have done fruit bowl  paintings, this was part of my early work when I was in my teens. If I did one today it would have to be something never seen before.

Stage 2, painting the bows

Can you tell us any new projects you have in the pipeline?

I am working on a project in the Bahamas, a private client  has commissioned  quite a few large pieces.  My main focus right now is to re open my  studio estate in in St. Lucia. Now  that I live most of the year in Canada I have find myself  really missing the art  market that I had created on the island,  so the plan is to  reestablish this exotic location and to start building cottages on some of my choice locations that I own to create an art destination.

Daniel's house in St. Lucia

And now to see Daniel at work, please click on the video below.