“Encounter“ by Sandra (Sandi) Churness

Sandra Churness taught elementary school students for 20 years.  Now retired, she has the luxury of time to batik to her heart's content.  She lives in Chippewa Falls with her husband, and is a member of Bridge Street Art and Gifts co-op.

 

“Encounter” (2024) • 18" x 24" • Batik • About the artwork, from the artist: "I learned to batik in a basement in Minneapolis with a bunch of "girls" from the neighborhood almost 40 years ago. I was hooked from the start!   loved the process and the results then, and still do after all these years and hundreds of batiks. This piece was inspired by "Sleep in the Woods Dictionary."

Batik is an ancient art form originating in Bali.  Fast-forwarding from the original stamped, repetitive style to today's free-form, painterly version, it is now a medium which lends itself to landscapes, botanicals, animals and more.  

Using the resist process, step by step the design comes alive, yielding surprises when the batik is ironed to remove the wax.  Specific fabrics, waxing techniques, combinations of dyes and crackle contribute to a visual texture unique to batik.  

I am inspired by nature and enjoy interpreting the beauty of creation through wax and dye.

I am one of twelve members of Bridge Street Art and Gifts across from Mason Shoes in Chippewa Falls.  My work can also be found at Tangled Up in Hue in Eau Claire."