The Batik Guild > Gallery > Natalija Babelchius

Natalija Babelchius

Why do I love batik?

I love it for its unpredictability and the miracles which happen. You don't know right up to the end how the finished work will look. You do the sketches, plan the colours and effects, but wax is a living thing, and it plays a big part in the work on a picture.

Working with wax, I layer one colour upon another, building up a three-dimensional effect in the picture. I can create unique shades and textures, which are not possible in other techniques. I like drawing on the cooled wax with a needle, and then applying the image with paints.

Orchid 1 50 x 40cm

Orchid 2 50 x 40cm

Like all artists, I have my secret ways of working in batik and silk painting. But I like to share my secrets, and so I organised a batik club at ArtBaltica in the city of Vilnius where I live. We meet each week to work and experiment. Wax resist and silk painting are not the only techniques for working with textiles of course, and meeting with other artists can be very inspiring. I love the batik club, and many of my pupils are destined to become masters of the genre in their own right.

Miniature - A Small Bird 11 x 11cm

Summer Walk 60 x 60cm

My works are often executed in the naive style. I like to draw landscapes and people, as well as flowers and animals. I particularly love the realistic school of painting and I often work in this style too. I love to experiment and always discover something new in the pictures.

Vilnius 40 x 50cm

Some years ago, I created a virtual gallery of Baltic art at ArtBaltica.com and I am currently managing a number of professional artists and arranging art exhibitions in the city of Vilnius. For more information about ArtBaltica, the batik club and my own work, please visit the website.