Picking up a crisp silk scarf and running my fingers over it to feel the delicate textures and airy lightness gives me goosebumps. Holding such a thing of beauty!
When I first came across Arati's work on Etsy, it evoked the same feeling. It's a burst of the most exquisite colours and illustrations. Every design has multiple layers and I found myself trying to work out the patterns on all the different layers hidden below the other.
What's different about these scarves? I think it requires an eye of a very talented, seasoned artist to put together colours that work with each other, also complementing the patterns and symmetry with just the right amount of detailing.
And being a bit of a geek, and a fan of the 'How it's made' shows, I contacted Arati, and she mentioned her YouTube channel where she posts the whole process from scratch. After binge watching some very cool 'speed painting' videos, I must admit I never imagined the whole process to be this extensive. Some very interesting bits like adding soy wax over painted dye, to prevent the dripping, or the unique tools she uses like the 'Batik Stift' pen from Russia, the extra care post the actual painting process - the wrapping, resting, steaming, waiting for the dye to set before the final wash and iron!
Each of these pieces get the whole royal treatment, making them even more special, handmade till the end. My personal favourite is the lush aqua 'Schooling Fish' collection. The painted waves in turquoise hues reminds me a lot of Van Gogh's Starry Nights, giving an illusion of movement in the composition. But like every piece, this has it's own story that inspired Arati.
"This vibrant collection, featuring patterns of fish among rich blue-green hues and textures of the ocean, is inspired by Cornish fishing tales of young lads who called 'huwa huwa' from the top of the cliffs when they spotted large schools of shoaling pilchards... the fishermen waiting down in the harbour would immediately set out to make their abundant catch. Fishing has sadly declined in the Cornish coastal waters of England since then, but the beauty of that scene remains and is captured in these scarves. Some scarves have an abundance of fish as there was in the oceans a hundred years ago while others have only one or two or even none, signifying the loss of marine life in recent years."
Visit Arati's website at aratidevasher.co.uk, to view her entire collection of scarves, ties and jewellery.
Have a look at the process here:
Some more favourites from the shop.
