The "Artists of the World" Story

It was an ordinary day. The "ding" of my computer caught my attention. Another incoming email. This one telling me that Henderson Reece just left me a message on my Facebook page. Checked my Facebook account and sure enough, there was a greeting from Henderson. Henderson is listed under my "Likes" category on my Facebook page. Carol and I met Henderson in 2008 when we traveled to Barbados in the Caribbean. His business is called Batik Art, Barbados. To Henderson, his art is his delight in what he sees and feels, and he attempts to portray his feelings through his art. This last sentence was taken right off his Batik Art Barbados Facebook page. While on the island Carol and I bought one of his beautiful batik art pieces. Batik is made using this procedure:

Melted wax (Javanese: malam) is applied to clot

h before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The bees wax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Where ever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the

dye will not penetrate. Sometimes, several colors are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps. Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with atiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solventto dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and thefine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called batik tulis.

Henderson's artwork depicts his life in Barbados. BeautifulCaribbean scenes in bright colors. His Facebook page lists one customer after another who love his work. There is a photo of Carol and I holding our artwork in his shop. I recently emailed him telling him that we may visit beautiful Barbados in another year. I told he we will be sure to stop to say "Hi" to

him when we arrive. Carol and I have pur

chased artwork from many artists on our trips we take. We have a 3'x5' fabric painting of fish and shells from Hawaii painted by Hettie hanging in our living room. We saw her work and told h

er what we would like and she mailed it to us after we returned home. We have a large acrylic on fabric by Lisa that she

painted for us of a beach scene in St. Martin. We have a seaside watercolor by Antoine Chapon and two watercolor prints by Minguet. But, my favorite is a giclee print of a house in Grand Case, St. Martin painted by Paul Elliott. Truly soft pastel Caribbean colors. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photosfrom the top are: sample of Henderson Reece's batiks, next photo is from his Facebook page showing a customers' work, Carol and I with Henderson at his studio in Barbados and Carol and I with Paul Elliott in St. Martin.