Rosi Robinson

I have been batiking for over 35 years and still feel inspired with the technique. It is so various and one can experiment with the wax and dyes in such exciting and adventurous ways.

I was introduced to batik after university when I was doing my Postgraduate Certificate of Education. I have taught it in schools since then and am now head of Art in Cumnor House School in Danehill,Sussex, UK.

My inspiration ranges from realistic land and sea scapes, sporting scenes, animals etc to abstract images created by the wax dyes and fabric and paper. I try to capture movement and contrasting light and shadow in my work. I often handpaint areas with successive layers of wax and dyes, finishing off with a final dip of the fabric in the darkest dye.

My batiks are usually framed behind glass although larger pieces are stretched on artists' stretchers. I have exhibited my batiks in London, the UK including Northern Ireland, Europe, China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada and the USA and have work in private collections in all these countries. I have travelled widely and recently visited batik workshops in Sri Lanka. In 2005 I exhibited and gave a presentation at the World Batik Conference in Boston, USA.

I have written two books, Decorative Fabric Painting (Merehurst) 1994, and Creative Batik (Search Press) 2001.

I run various batik workshops throughout the year for adults as well as children and I give lectures/talks to art societies and conferences. Who would have thought that Batik would have been such a great influence and be such an inspiration to me over the last 35 years.