The Tribune

By Teri M Bethel

ONE of the benefits of textile painting is the ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Taking a blank canvas – whether it’s a plain throw pillow, a garment, a bag or a pair of shoes – and adding interesting looking colour combinations and texture to its surface gives every artist immense satisfaction.

What would you do with a skill of this nature?

The prospects are endless for persons in the fashion design, interior accessories and the craft and souvenir arena.

But today our focus is on transforming your garments into walking works of art.

In addition to revisiting and rejuvenating your wardrobe, you can now do the same for others. Whether it is a line of painted T-shirts for the tourist market or a customised tunic for boutique clientele, there is nothing that beats quality and originality. And when you use some rockin’ embellishments to finish off your creation, then you have a design that really “pops”.

So you say, ‘I’m a merchant, I love what I see but I really don’t have the time to paint’. Well, that is understandable, but have you considered contracting others with the skill to create a line of artistic products for you? Or perhaps you would like to have an in-house design team. In that case, offering scholarships so that your staff can be enrolled in a textile painting class may be the way to go.

Perhaps one day soon the Bahamas will have visitors who flock to its shores to purchase high quality, locally produced products. Maybe then our beautiful country will become a go-to destination for international merchants to purchase hand-made products for supply throughout the region and around the world.

• Teri M Bethel is a texture painting and handbag instructor. She is the designer of Teri Monique Handbags, a line of custom-made art purses. Visit us at www.paintwithtexture.com; or call us at telephone number 242-676-4474

• Photo: Transformed Tunics: From White to Painted