Silk Collections: 30 Years of Silk Painting

By Cássia Maia

My work showcased in this coffee-table type book, covers a variety of artistic disciplines: from painting, sculptures, wearable art and silk jewelry.
These pieces are a collection of experiments during three decades of silk painting art. Some were successful, most were not. They document my process of learning and open a window into my life during this time.

I have been inspired by the different places and people in my journey as human being. This form of art became my passion and I developed many techniques and styles. Each painting is unique and one of a kind.

I am sharing my silk collections, my story, in hopes of making common connections with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514485538

Cássia Maia

Cássia Maia was born on the highlands in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern of Brazil. In 1986 after studying french at Alliance Française, tourism and art school, she started working for Club Med where she taught silk painting and traveled in French speaking countries for seven years. Since 1998, Cássia Maia has been living on Cape Cod, MA. She works from her own studio at home bringing to life the endless possibilities that the art of silk painting could give to her. After 3o years with this form of art, Cássia Maia, is in constant search for a means to express the essence of human experience and she feel extreme gratitude towards GOD and the people who find merit in her silk art.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Cássia Maia. 732269

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906312

ISBN:   Softcover         978-1-5144-8554-5

             Hardcover        978-1-5144-8555-2

             EBook               978-1-5144-8553-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 6/21/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Copyright@2016 by Cássia Maia-Eldridge

www.CassiaMaiaFineArtOnSilk.com

Email: [e-mail]

Illustrations© by Cássia Maia-Eldridge

Revision: Thomas Eldridge

Cover design © Cássia Maia-Eldridge

Cassia's cover photos by Raquel Rodrigues

Cassia's cover photo makeup: Keli Abuda Calfee

Cassia's cover photo hairstyle: Maria Helena Siqueira Oliveira

Editorial Production by Xlibris

Contents

Introduction

Silk painting – History

The art of silk painting

Beginning

Encountering the silk

The early years: 1986–1996

The second decade of my work: 1996–2006

The third decade of my silk art: 2006-2016

The beautiful Cape Cod

Cape Cod Aviation

American Indian Art

Masks and Vases

Abstracts on silk

Traveling with the silk

Dancing silk brushes

Sensual silk art

Angels in my silk

Christian silk art

Women's art

Female warrior

The art of movement

Animal art

Flowering on silk

Decorating with silk

Kinetic art by Cássia Maia

Wearable art movement

Inspiration and Admiration:

This book is dedicated to my husband Tom, the love of my life.

To my mother Maia, my inspiration, my mold.

To my grandparents, Vovô Lulu Garcia and Vovó Isaura (both in memoriam) for their talents and gifts.

To my brother Luiz Maia (in memoriam) who was an architectural designer.

To my friends and family, who have loyally supported my artwork and help to inspire me.

I express gratitude to my Creator, who I believe is an artist Himself.

"Painting is a

silent poem,

poetry is

spoken painting" Plutarch

These pieces are a collection of experiments,

some were successful, most were not.

They document my process of learning

and open a window into my life over time.

Introduction

I have always made use of painting to understand my relationship with the world. My works are stories - small insights and reflections of my experiences. In seeking meaning in the world, I am sharing my silk collections, (my story) in hopes of making common connections with others.

My work has many layers; formally, it is about shape, objective, and non-objective imagery existing in the same field. The interaction of image, shape, and surface appeals to me. Conceptually, they combine to form a narrative.

I see my work as visual poetry making sense of the world around me.

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls - Pablo Picasso

Silk painting – History

More than 4500 years ago, a Chinese empress discovered how to unravel silk cocoons when one dropped into her cup of tea. Until this time, fiber for cloth came from plants(cotton, linen, hemp, ramie) or animals(sheep, goats, camel and yak). No one knew of such a fine and shiny fiber as silk and no one would have believed it came from the secretions of an insect. As the Chinese and other nations began to travel around the world, they each sent ambassadors bearing gifts to other countries. Silk was the most treasured gift from China, and her intelligent emperors soon realized they had a very important trade commodity. To meet the great demand