Shibori

Michael Smith is a non traditional shibori artist. He is based in North Carolina and has been creating wearable shibori art for 25 years. Most of his pieces are oriented towards retail and  are available for purchasing on his etsy shop.

He uses a technique he calls "random suprise". Smith uses a variety of different materials, including silk, cotton, chiffon, and even velvet. The fabric starts by being  soaked and folded two or three times. He then uses his hands to fold the fabric more into small patterns. Once the pattern is made he sets the crinkles using a machine he calls a "Crinkleator". Then the dye is added and once it is set Smith washes it out.

I was initially drawn towards Smith's work because of the bright colors and intricate designs on his pieces. His use of other fabrics beside cotton made him stand out to me, as well as his non traditional method of dyeing.

Michael Smith's Website