Seated on a life-like canvas alligator, Carol welcomes fiber artist Bonnie Himberg to the studio. With a Master's degree in art, Bonnie has taught for over 25 years. Her pieces are on exhibit around the country, and from her California studio, she continues to produce many "larger than life" creations that command a hefty price tag. During her appearance on Carol's show, Bonnie displays an assortment of animals such as kangaroos, lizards, zebras, birds, and turtles, some of which are dressed in fabulous costumes complete with roller skates and cocktail trays.
Of particular note is a realistic looking on-set iguana, whose purple and green scaly-looking skin was made by applying a special silk screening process to a piece of canvas. From there, Bonnie uses a spray bottle to apply textile paint to the fabric, holding the bottle close to the canvas for a more pronounced effect, and spraying from farther away for a shaded effect. Because building up colors gives more depth to the fabric, Bonnie recommends starting with light colors and then building up to dark colors. She also recommends using an air compressor instead of a spray bottle if you have a lot of material to paint.
After spraying on the textile ink, Bonnie suggests letting it dry before moving on to the next step of stenciling with sponges and metallic paint to create the illusion of scales.
| 
