Nicole Donson creates one-of-a-kind hand-painted silk scarves. She holds a Bachelors degree in Art History and a Master's degree in Communication from Boston University. She has taken several silk-painting workshops with the respected silk-painter and author, Susan Louise Moyer and has studied with established silk painters, Diane Tuckman and Jan Janas.

She has also studied Intensive Silk Painting with silk painter Sissi Siska, whose couture fabrics have appeared on the runways of Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, and Issac Mizrahi.  She has also taken fabric painting and watercolor painting at The Massachusetts College of Art and numerous art classes at adult education centers throughout the Boston area.  Currently she is interning with Lisa Michaels of Very Eclectic Clothing, who creates very fine silk painted garments and quilted jackets.

With a B.A. in Art History from Boston University, Nicole is most inspired by Art Nouveau and the great modern artists of the 20th Century.  Like Matisse, Nicole is not afraid to use bold colors, rich reds and greens, beautiful blues and vivacious purples. Yet she also incorporates softer shades; browns, deep greens, and grays into her flowing botanical and floral designs.

All scarves and garments are individually hand-painted on 100% silk.  The scarf is hand painted on silk using many layers of dye.  First Nicole stretches the silk on a special frame that has wooden panels that are adjustable and have special pin hooks that hold the silk tight. She uses a combination of techniques to create her hand-painted silk scarves, from a fluid-like watercolor method to a more controlled resist technique.

Nicole applies a clear or colored "gutta" (resist) to the silk to control the flow of dyes or as a highlighter in her designs. Using a watercolor brush, she paints on the silk using Tinfex Design and/or Pepeo Soie silk dyes. The dyes are diluted with a solution of water and isopropyl alcohol to obtain lighter tones.

Occasionally, Nicole adds salt or drops of alcohol to the wet dyes to create interesting effects and abstract designs. Sometimes, she will lay the silk flat and paint instead of stretching the fabric.