The Art Chateau is hidden away behind the TACIT (Theater Arts at the California Institute of Technology) house. The art instructor, Jim Barry, has transformed the Art Chateau from a regular garage into a charming building with studio spaces on both floors. The first floor has cutouts of Ditch Day shirt designs that students used to print their designs onto t-shirts littering the walls. The second floor has sprawling plants everywhere and art covering the walls that make the space a calm haven for students coming for their weekly art classes. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings there is a Drawing and Painting class. A live model even joins after the first couple classes of the term. While I haven’t taken a Drawing and Painting class (yet), every Monday I attend the Silk Painting class.
A lot of people are surprised when I mention the art classes at Caltech because they wouldn’t expect Caltech to have art classes at all. Yet, I’ve taken Silk Painting every term since I first took the class during the third term of my sophomore year at Caltech. While I enjoy drawing and painting, I don’t think I’m particularly good at it, and I’ve never really found the time for it. However, silk painting is another story, for while I’m still not the best at it, I really enjoy silk painting! Because of how the silk makes the color flow, it never looks bad, and I’ve gotten a lot better at my art skills in terms of control – adding complexity to my paintings and general ideas. Silk painting is similar to watercolor, but it’s probably more similar to batik, where you draw a design and the negative result is on the final painting.
To generally outline the process, you can draw a design using a rubber-cement like material called gutta. After the gutta dries, it creates a barrier resist that prevents dye from crossing the lines drawn and therefore keeps the line uncolored. After wetting the silk, you add dye (aka color) to the painting. You can mix dyes to create new colors and apply them by just painting on the silk. Once we’re done painting for the day/stage of the painting, Mr. Barry steams the silks to keep the color in them so that we can work with them the next week. Putting gutta on top of your color preserves the color underneath, which allows you to keep the color for the next time you paint over the gutta. Developing over time and multiple sessions is also a really good way to create deeper colors and gradients.
Silk painting has been a surprising comfort and favorite past-time since I’ve started it. I’ve made plenty of silk paintings as gifts for friends and family and even wear silk scarves as headbands. Of the decorations in my dorm room, probably about half are silk paintings. Aside from creating the art itself, silk painting has helped me become a lot more confident in my art skills and has inspired me to try new things. This is not a hobby I would have picked up anywhere else, and we’re very fortunate that the materials are provided by Caltech (aka I don’t have to buy my own materials, and I know the ones I’m using are good quality). Also, because art classes aren’t major restricted, I’ve met a lot of people I wouldn’t have otherwise from across all options and houses. I’ve encouraged all of my friends to take the class with me, and I’ve even brought visitor friends to either help me paint or make their own creations! Part of what makes Caltech so special is the chance to take unique classes, and while this has been true for my STEM classes as well, I’ve been fortunate enough to try something new in art.
