CARMEL SMYTH, BATIK ARTIST
A truly accomplished craftsperson, Carmel has been making and selling batik since the 1980s. Batik is an ancient art originating in southeast Asia that uses wax to create mystical patterns and colours. The process involves melting wax on oil-resistant cloth. The lightest dye is applied first, and the colours are layered thereafter, finishing with the darkest. During the layering the wax cracks naturally, allowing a certain amount of the dye to seep through. The cloth is then ironed with newspaper to remove the wax and the cloth returns to its original fabric texture.
Having mastered the craft of batik, Carmel has now also uses a combination of handmade paper and angel hair spun from fine glass to create scenes full of texture and peace. She uses leaves and grasses from her home in Fennell’s Bay. Living at the entrance to Cork Harbour, Carmel’s work is inspired by the everchanging land and seascape around her.
Carmel creates mounted prints from batik originals, cards from batik originals and handmade paper pieces in frames.
