Hooey Batiks

Hooey Batiks

I am Jill Miller, an artist living in Urbana, Illinois. Since 1992, I’ve been exhibiting my batiks at art shows and festivals. I work primarily on clothing, but also make pillows, velvet scarves, handbags and lampshades.

I learned how to batik in an art class at the University of Illinois in 1989 and was immediately addicted. Batik is a sloppy, waxy mess and it’s always a pleasant surprise to see the bright, colorful designs that were hiding under layers of wax. I love playing with color combinations, coming up with silly new designs, and just having fun with it all.

Batik is a traditional Asian art with origins in India, Indonesia & China. The word is Malay and means “wax writing.” The batik process involves painting with melted wax using a tjanting, a special tool similar to a fountain pen, onto cloth, then dyeing the material. The covered areas resist the dye except where the hardened wax has cracked, producing the crackled, spider web effect which is characteristic of batik. The waxing and dyeing can be repeated as many times as necessary to achieve multiple colors and more varied designs. Or the wax can be completely removed and reapplied in different areas to get an even broader spectrum of colors.

The final process is removing the wax from the material. This can be done by ironing the fabric between newspaper or repeatedly rinsing it in boiling water — over and over and over… The end result is a colorful and unique creation.

All Hooey Batiks designs are original. Because no dye bath is the same the colors and color combinations are different every time. And because I wax items individually, by hand, the designs vary, making each batik a one of a kind piece of wearable art.