About Batikwalla by Victoria
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Welcome to my world of handcrafted batik!
What is batik?
Batik is a fiber art technique that uses beeswax as a resist to paint designs on fabric. How did I learn to batik? It was a natural curiosity that sparked my interest in this special fiber art technique. I am entirely self taught, which started very early in life. As a kid I was intrigued by craft books and magazines that were so popular in the 70's and 80's. The pictures sparked my imagination of a dreamy "hippie" world I could escape to. As a teenager, I headed west to break free from the strict expectations of conformity I couldn't accept as my future. With a one way ticket, I hopped on a train to Oregon. For better or worse, I found myself in a strange new place that was primed for creative art exploration. The first thing on my list was to learn how to make batik.
In the fine year of 1989, I checked out a few books from the local library, and spent about $100 assembling the materials so I could give batik a try. With my first brush stroke I knew I was onto something right away. I painted every piece of fabric I could get my hands on. Anything that could hold liquid became a container for dye, including the only bathtub in the house, and every sink with a stopper. Word of mouth got out and I began to sell my new boho batik shirts to people in the neighborhood. More sales came through funky craft fairs and colorful music festivals, including the Eugene Saturday Market and the Oregon Country Fair, and my most favorite, the parking lot scene of the Grateful Dead concerts. This is how it all began. Once I tapped into the creative process, there was no turning back, and I have pursued it intently ever since.
