Among the many art forms that Bali is famous for, perhaps one of the most interesting is batik. Batik techniques have been practiced in Indonesia for over a thousand years, and today it is not only a way to decorate fabric for clothing and sarongs, but also a legitimate artistic medium. Originally the only colors used were indigo, brown, and white, which represented the major Hindu deities. The color palette has since expanded to include a vibrant rainbow of hues. Batik artists apply hot melted wax to a cloth to protect the fibers from colored dyes. The artist alternates between wax and dye until he has layered the cloth with all of his colors and patterns. The fabric is then dipped in a chemical and hot water bath to remove all traces of the wax and reveal the design. The seventh graders experimented with batik techniques in class. We looked at many traditional Balinese paintings and fabric patterns for inspiration.

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