Deborah Falls

My paintings are done on hand woven Indian dupioni using fiber reactive silk dyes.

Previously, I have worked in many different art forms including printmaking, drawing, painting and mixed media. I also did a stint in textile design. While living in Southern California I produced a line of textiles for interiors.  

I was drawn to working with silk and dyes because of the vibrant colors of the dyes and the wonderful texture of the silk. Since I am self-taught in this medium, I had no idea of traditional silk painting and developed my own way of applying and managing the unmanageable dyes. I did, however, have a sense of the imagery that I wanted, and was able, after many trials and much patience, to adapt to a process that achieves my goals.

It was not until I started planting my own gardens about ten years ago that my imagery changed from abstract to realistic in the form of botanicals.  I was so excited every time something emerged or bloomed that I felt compelled to capture this beautiful and amazing natural structure. The silk and dyes have offered the perfect canvas. Since then, I have been working to capture and portray the sense of beauty and wonder that I experience in the garden.