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Boretz, who rides her bike to nearby pastures to study horses, paints equine imagery on silk. Her scarves are muted, soft watercolor landscapes where horses run, rest and graze. ().

By Mardi Ford

Observer Staff Writer

She filled the first silk landscape with cows.

"I've always thought scarves were way too serious." Elizabeth Boretz says. "I wanted to do something silly."

An associate professor of Spanish at Eastern Oregon University, Boretz, who also administers both the Honors and the International Study and Internships programs, says "I'm in humanities — my scarves should be fun."

They are fun, but they are also thoughtful and lovely. So lovely, in fact, when a friend introduced the artist and her scarves to Mona Dinger, one of

La Grande's art commissioners, Dinger suggested Boretz participate in Saturday's 2003 Season's Faire Art Gala and Auction.

"I had never thought about selling them or doing an art show," Boretz says. "I've never really thought about selling them — I just do it for me."

How did an academician find self-expression and relaxation through painting silk scarves? The answer to that is found in her past and what she always thought she would do with her life.

Boretz grew up in Los Angeles.

"It's a great place to be from. There was always a lot going on — a lot to do and see as a kid," she says. "But I wouldn't want to live there now as an adult," she quickly adds.

Boretz began preparing for an art career in kindergarten. She says her mother was an influence on her own growing interest in various art forms from an early age.

"My mom was always into crafts," Boretz says, "always doing different things."

See SCARVES, 2B

While in high school, Boretz studied commercial art through the Los Angeles Regional Occupational Program and took art classes at UCLA.

Although she never considered pursuing fine art, Boretz says she was drawn to the graphic arts.

"I grew up in the middle of the film industry. I wanted to work in animation," she says, "maybe for Disney."

Her senior year, however, Boretz realized there were other things she wanted to do, too.

"Travel," she says, "I wanted to travel the world. And I was always good at Spanish."

Boretz decided an art degree might not provide her with opportunities to explore exotic places. She also admits a small dose of cold feet at the idea of earning her living as an artist.

She chose, instead, to major in Spanish at the University of California-Riverside, thinking a job in international business might be her ticket to global adventures.

After graduation, she took an internship in Spain working for a company that imported hardware for the fishing industry. And, although she loved Spain, Boretz discovered after six months that international business was not for her.

"I loved being a student, though," she laughs. So, she came back to the U.S. and enrolled at the University of Washington, in Seattle. There she completed the master's degree program and obtained a doctorate in romance languages.

Committed to teaching, in 1994 Boretz chose La Grande, and Eastern Oregon University, partially because of the relaxed pace of its lifestyle and the close sense of community found here.

"It's the good life," she smiles.

Boretz has always continued her creative expression through writing and making fine chocolates.

Then, last November, a friend who teaches costume design at the college, asked Boretz to help her try out some new art supplies for painting on silk. Boretz was more than happy to oblige.

Although that first scarf was just for fun, Boretz got hooked on the art form.

She bought her own supplies and simple white silk scarves.

Boretz, an animal lover, has chosen to paint horsescapes on her scarves.

"I ride my bike and I see the horses in the fields. I study them and then I try to capture what I see on the silk."

Her scarves are muted, soft watercolor landscapes where horses run, rest and graze. Boretz tries to capture different moods and different facial expressions on her horses. Each one is a little different — all are unique.

"I never know exactly what I'm going to get until the scarf comes out of the final bath," she says.

Boretz uses both fine silk chiffon and charmeuse, but prefers the chiffon. "It's easier to work with and I like the weight of it," she says.

So far, she has made about 20 scarves and considers them wearable art, but says they are also suitable for hanging on a wall.

Boretz sees the plain, white silk as a blank canvas.

First she sketches a scene onto silk pulled taut on stretchers. Then, she goes over her free-hand sketch with a thin line of a water-soluble wax. The wax keeps the dye from staining the fabric. This creates the finished design.

Working with the wax is tricky and mistakes always show up on the finished product.

"See that run of color?" Boretz points to a wash of soft gray that flows out of a gray horse into a plum colored hillside.

"I didn't completely enclose the back of the horse with the wax," she says regretfully.

And sometimes, wax shows up in places where she didn't want wax.

But what her artistic perfectionism may regard as error, appears to the casual eye as merely a unique ebb and flow of color which adds to the originality of the piece.

Once the water-soluble wax has been applied, its time for Boretz to dab color onto the silk.

"It runs and flows," she says, "spreading through the fabric like water." Boretz has control over the depth of the colors. She can water the dyes down for softer, muted tones or use them full strength. She can also saturate the silk with water so it won't hold as much dye.

She has had fun experimenting with what the dye will and will not do.

Once the scarf is painted and completely dry, it is then added to a final bath which sets the dye and dissolves the wax. The finished scarf is then left to dry.

Until the wax has been dissolved in the final bath, Boretz doesn't know exactly what the scarf will look like.

"The first time I did one," Boretz says, "I didn't know what to expect. When it came out, it was like ‘Wow! Look at the expression on that face.' "

Boretz's own expression reveals her enthusiasm and delight in creating her scarves. And the scarves? They testify to the fact that Boretz is having fun.