StoneTree Gallery
Artist Bio
Gary Fey - Silk batik
Title: "Three Chilis", 13"h x 10"w
I've been a resident of New Mexico for three years. I have Batik painted silk for 24 years. I was born and raised in Chicago and formally trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the early 70's. I moved to San Diego after completing my fine arts education in painting. In Southern Ca. I lived on the coast and started to experiment with batik on silk. Five years later I made my first sale to an exclusive fashion boutique (Capriccios-of La Jolla, Ca. and Scottsdale, Az.) for $5000!! I knew then I'd be able to support myself as an artist full time. I started selling to Marion Wagner Boutique in Beverly Hills and others. In the 80's, I also painted silk for Nolan Miller, designer for Linda Evans on the TV series Dynasty. I have done textile design for fashion giants like Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta. Also, during the 80's, I traveled to NY and LA five times per year selling my batik textile designs. I also sold designs to fabric companies and directly to mass market fashion designers in swimwear (Cole of Ca), dresses (Diane Freese), as well as some designs for interior wallpaper (Judscott). While it was a thrill to see my designs mass produced it wasn't very satisfying creatively. In the late 80's I moved to Minnesota and began a family with my wife of 9 years. In MN I started fine batik painting--images suitable for framing. I currently travel around the country selling my art at premier Art Fairs in the Southwest and Midwest, as well as at Stonetree Gallery. I am very fortunate to be able to support myself as an artist and I still love to batik silk, even after 24 years! Color is my passion--something you achieve with deep saturation using dye on silk. I teach classes at Ghost Ranch in NM and in public schools where I've taught over 50,000 kids over the past decade.
