Many artists will attest to the almost tangible creative energy that permeates Bali. Its power nurtures them, encourages them, and even drives them to create in ways they had never thought possible before they were led to this magical island. This creative force is not exclusive to established artists, however. Now many tourists are allowing themselves to be opened up to the creative gifts Bali has to offer, allowing themselves to be transformed into artists, even just for one day. By Shanna Provost.

A small crowd of friends gather around me in my hometown. For once I am the centre of attention - alas, not for any literary achievement, but for my artistic endeavours. Who would have thought? A frustrated artist limited in skill to drawing only the basic stick figures, I have a bevy of admirers drooling over the silk kimono I am wearing.

"Oh this old thing... I made it in Bali." Looks of disbelief, envy and admiration sweep over the sea of faces as everyone takes a step closer. (I am often described as artistically challenged, and my peers suspect I am spinning a tale.) I do feel like an imposter as I swirl around in an explosion of colours and patterns that would make Picasso envious. So how did I join the ranks of the creative?

I was introduced to the joys of silk painting while living in Bali. Somehow the dance between the silk, the dyes and my brush opened a deeply embedded seed within me that has taken root. Now I can’t get enough! I’m addicted to creating more and more expressions of the internal me that I can wear boldly on the outside - just in case the first few were flukes!

The ultimate medium
As a canvas, silk is the ultimate medium for first-timers. It eagerly grabs dyes, and with only the slightest prompting by the artist, creates designs with a mind of its own. A range of effects can be created depending on the speed with which you lay the colours on the silk, and a rainbow of colours can be formed using a palette of just three colours.

Silk is truly the designer’s dream. Painting silk is a rich process of discovery. Water can be added to dyes to make them softer and paler; dyes can be mixed prior to placing them on the silk; colours, tones and effects can be created right there on the silk itself.

Silk is so malleable, so eager to take up colour that you can’t help but create. This means that even the most frustrated artist can have the satisfaction of creating - and the results are so immediate. A silk can be painted in one hour - or longer, depending on the level of detail. A blank silk can be transformed into a personal creation before your very eyes in the morning and worn that afternoon.

Every time I wear a silk garment I can’t help thinking about the hundreds of silk worms that diligently went to work to create a fabric so magnificent, so soft to the touch - a fabric that undulates as I walk, that feels soft to the skin, that allows the body to breathe (ideal for this tropical climate). Silk is also a fantastic medium for the established artist because one can never really know how a piece will turn out in the end. It allows the creator to have varying levels of control over colour and design, but it never quite hands full power over to the artist - this is an exciting challenge for many artists.

"Silk painting is a dynamic meditation for many," says Shankari, internationally renowned designer of jewellery and silks, and owner of Sacred River Retreat, West Bali. Shankari’s Equinox range of silks are seen draped on the finest (and richest) bodies around the world. "Painting silk can take the artist into a deep sense of calm," she says.

So many people admired Shankari’s own creations that she decided to provide the opportunity for the uninitiated to learn how to befriend silk and make their own creations. Sacred River Silks, Shankari’s silk production centre in West Bali, conducts regular silk painting classes for people from all over the island. Visiting the vegetarian restaurant at the Retreat is a visual treat as well as a gastronomical one, as guests dine draped in their own rainbow creations made earlier in the day.

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