Waratah Hand Painted Silk Scarf
Serti Silk Painting by Alison Lee Cousland

The first waratah I painted on silk was on a scarf, commissioned by Maureen, a natural healer working with Dennis Stewart, who first introduced me to the healing powers of our Australian Native Flower Essences.

Maureen made her own Native Flower Essences and gave lectures on the transition of their healing properties by simply being in their vicinity and absorbing their vibrational energy as Australian indigenous people have always done instinctively. By simply looking at Maureen’s  slides of the Native Flowers, she believed that her viewers could absorb their healing vibration.

The revelation that this energy could be infused VISUALLY was  very new to me and the ‘floodgates of inspiration’ opened. My love of being in our Australian Bush with all our flora and fauna, my passion for art and my innate inclination towards natural healing could at last converge.

Silk was the obvious media for me to bring ‘life’ to visual impressions of our Native Flowers. Being technically adept at finely detailed serti silk painting was just the beginning. How to instill painting with the ‘healing essence’ of the flowers was to become my ten year challenge.

Seemed like the best way to start was to attune myself to a flower that I most resonated with: the waratah was the obvious choice.

The name ‘waratah’ means ’seen from afar’ and standing tall amongst the soft blue/green/greys of our Australian bush ’scrub’ a waratah in full bloom is a magnificent sight to see.

The formulators of Australian Bush Flower remedies, believe that the ‘essence’ of waratahs instill qualities of courage, strength and vitality. For me the waratah image also captures the spirit and lifeblood of Australia.

Maureen loved her scarf and I continued to paint several scarves with waratah motifs before designing the larger  waratah paintings and screens and ultimately my one and only, unique and never-to-be-repeated-again wall hanging.

Ally * Alison Lee Cousland

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Blue Magnolias * Serti Silk Painting Alison Lee Cousland 450 x 300 mm

Waterlily flowers are thought to be the most primordial flowers on our planet and Magnolias are also known to be just about as ‘ancient.’   

The Magnolia tree has hundreds of different species all around the world and in the West was given the name Magnolia after Pierre Magnol, a French botanist in the 1600s.

Fables, legends and symbolic meanings of flower species, have been passed down from generation to generation. Typically the magnolia flower represents ‘splendid beauty’ with dignity and perseverance and is a welcome harbinger that spring is soon to arrive.

In the East, the Magnolia was known as the secretly-smiling flower and once only grown by the Chinese Emperors who bestowed its roots on those who had gained their special favor.

It’s not surprising that the simple but voluptuous form of the Magnolia flower became emblematic of feminine refinement, beauty and sensuousness.

Or that Magnolias have long been the subject of Asian art: When depicted with stones, particularly ‘longevity stones’ a long and dignified life is assured to all who absorb the energy of such art.

White flowers are generally associated with purity and sweetness and due to its beautiful white jade colour and orchid like perfume, the White Magnolia is also known as Jade Orchid.   

I’ve always been attracted to the fullness of the Magnolia buds as their petals open and was drawing and painting them long before painting them on silk. So the designs of these Magnolia Scarves and Paintings came from my original drawings (from life.)

Absorb the essence of Magnolia and come in touch with your own ‘splendid beauty and sensuousness * Your dignity and perseverance.

Magentia Magnolia Scarves * Serti Silk Painting Alison Lee Cousland

Ally * Alison Lee Cousland

Email: private@riseall.com

Personal Twitter: http://twitter.com/Allyinspirit

Creative Muse Twitter: http://twitter.com/MyCreativeMuse

Blogs

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Scarves * Serti Silk Paining * Alison Lee Cousland

After attending a single morning silk workshop the ‘inspiration floodgates’ opened * The world of silk art continued to expand as I experimented in isolation for months, in order  to ‘perfect’ my personal serti silk painting techniques.

The basic serti technique requires the design outlines to be drawn with a resist, so that the separately defined areas can then be painted with blends of colourfields, ranging from delicate ethereal hues to brilliant vibrancy.

My aim was to specialize in refining the serti line as well as the application of colour * Applying all my acquired fine art ‘skills’ of drawing and watercolor to this craft.

The serti technique is essentially the same regardless of the fabric weight, weave and thickness * But each fabric places different demands on the skills of the artist.

These first pieces were generously sized scarves/shawls/wraps: hand-painted on the finest Habutai silk with a glossy, almost satiny sheen and then on very fine georgette silk that has more of a matt sheen. Both drape softly although georgette tends to even more so.

After painting many such scarves I naturally ‘progressed’ onto other forms of wearable art. Then onto screens, wall panels, framed paintings and one unique hanging. Of course all silk paintings are unique (as distinct from silk screening) which makes this particular hanging, uniquely unique.

Unfortunately photographs can’t capture the glowing vibrancy of the silk itself or the ‘glitter’ of the gold serti. So please allow for the sheen of the silk when viewing the above samples of my first silk paintings.

Details of scarves: From the top left going clockwise:

1  Oriental Orchids on Silk Georgette

2. Magnolias on Habutai Silk

3. Waratah on Habutai Silk

4. Native Orchids Habutai Silk

Ally * Alison Lee Cousland

Email: private@riseall.com

Personal Twitter: http://twitter.com/Allyinspirit

Creative Muse Twitter: http://twitter.com/MyCreativeMuse

Blogs

Pathways to Abundant Living: http://riseall.com

Your Creative Muse: http://yourcreativemuse.com

Allyinspirit Internet Solutions Blog: http://allyinspirit.info

All Things Bright and Beautiful: http://budurl.com/AllThings

Miracle Mineral Solutions: http://miraclemineralsolutions.info

All Round Health and Healing: http://allroundhealthandhealing.com