Mitzi Ash Artist Statement I grew up on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay surrounded by blue waters, flat landscapes, sea breezes and geese migrating overhead. Idyllic for a childhood and rich with inspiration but the tides said, “Time to go.” So the unknown artist left and began to wander. Fifteen years later, I wandered into the art department at a community college where I worked as a counselor. Black and white photography became my art until color rushed into my life the day gorgeous dyes flowed like water onto silk. I take pristine white silk and stretch it tautly on a frame. Using special dyes, I paint on the silk with a brush. Dyes flow and move like water. Other products are used to contain and enhance the painting. The silk is then steamed to set the dyes. It is washed and ironed before it is ready to frame. Silk painting is a multi-step process that can result in a vibrant, colorfast, beautiful piece of art. From the solitary beauty of my childhood, through the love of my family, with the hearts of the students I counseled, on to the compositions found through the camera’s eye, I continue to look for meaning in my artwork. It is the curve of a line, the juxtaposition of color against color, and the contrast of simplicity and complexity that draws me back again and again to the silk.