Artist Uses Silk as a Creative Medium

Ritika Gandhi is a diamond in the rough.

The Wayne resident is one of the few artists in the North Jersey area who paints on silk.

“Silk painting is not like math or science,” Gandhi said. “There’s no one answer, and everyone has a different approach. My work is influenced by many different cultures.”

Gandhi taught herself how to paint on silk eight years ago. She paints on both large, flowing pieces of the material and on silk shirts too.

Born and raised in India, Gandhi traveled to London and Hong Kong to gain insight for her art before settling down to raise her two daughters, Neha and Vishali, a senior and junior at Wayne Hills High School.

Silk painting uses water and special paints that Gandhi gets from outside of the United States. The silk allows the paint to flow and bleed across the canvas. To create a design, Gandhi first stretches the silk so that there are no creases in the material. She then draws a sketch on the silk using gutta, a thick acrylic paint. Once the sketch is complete, Gandhi uses water to dilute the paint to the consistency she wants, which makes it lighter.

“Colors move more on silk than any other fabric,” Gandhi said. “You’re able to play more on silk than on mediums like acrylic or cotton.”

Unlike painting on a regular canvas, Gandhi said, silk painting is less restrictive and requires fewer rigid brush strokes. Gandhi said she thinks it is one of the most relaxing forms of art. She has experimented painting on many mediums but is hooked on silk.

Gandhi is a faculty member at the Riverdale Art Center. She teaches silk painting classes at the Montclair Art Museum and the Ridgewood Community School.

“My goal is to just let the students have fun and relax,” Gandhi said. “I have yet to find someone who isn’t happy with my classes. Some of my students come back three and four times.”

Many of Gandhi’s paintings are floral abstractions. She takes a lot of photographs of nature, which she uses for inspiration for her silk painting. She uses a lot of reds, yellows and blues in her work — colors that are frequently used in Indian artwork.

“Flowers are my biggest weakness,” Gandhi said. “These pictures of old silk paintings remind me of what’s worked and what hasn’t worked. It’s allowed me to adapt my methods.”

Gandhi said she has no regrets about her life.

“I found what I truly love to do,” Gandhi said.