I started painting silks after my artist mother, Beverly Pedersen, let me play in her studio one afternoon. It was the right combination of art and technology and practicality for me.

I buy my scarves prehemmed. Each is stretched on a frame to make it a temporary canvas. I lightly sketch the design in pencil, which washes out in the steaming process. If I want a hard edge, I use a water based resist ('gutta') in clear, gold, silver or black. I mix my colors from primaries; painting with the dyes is similar to painting with watercolors. The scarves are steamed to make the colors permanent then washed to remove the excess dye and ironed to create a nice finish. Sometimes I'll embellish a scarf with a little fabric paint or marker to add accents. All scarves are hand washable in cool water and mild soap.