Welcome to
Sissi Siska Designs

Sissi has been an artist for over 25 years.
She specializes in creating art on silk and speciality fabrics.
Her techniques include batik, resist methods,
gold and metallic leafs, stamping, stenciling, air brushing, and more.

Her silk painting classes offer students an introduction to this specialized art form.
Students will create their own piece in a one on one session or in group classes.

To contact Sissi call (201) 963-9673

Read more about Sissi Siska below:
I have always been attracted to fabrics and design. I sewed (& embellished) all my clothes from a very early age. I was always craving something unique.

Schooled in Illustration, Painting & Design, I worked in the (garment) “Industry” for many years as a textile/surface designer, creating patterns using the traditional (pre-computer) methods of painting on paper, watercolor on rice paper;  gouache on Canson etc.  I had no formal training in the textile arts. I learned the traditional (and then, secretive) French technique of gutta-serti with steam-set dyes on silk, by trial and error.

The moment I put a brush to silk, my world changed! Not only could I design samples for printed yardage and create Fine Art pieces, I could now make wearables that were one of a kind, and thus create a unique sense of style all my own.

Painting on silk is a challenging medium, similar to watercolor, which requires great skill to control the flow of the dyes. Mistakes often cannot be corrected, only incorporated somehow into the piece. This makes the technique exciting and sometimes frustrating at the same time. It makes for a very exhilarating experience when a ‘near perfect’ piece is achieved.

Over the years I’ve had the privilege of teaching Master classes at prestigious schools such as Arrowmont, Penland School of Craft; Peters Valley and SVA in NYC. My varied career includes custom runway  creations for top designers such as Marc Jacobs and Isaac Mizrahi, large scale floating banners exhibited at the US Botanical Gardens, and costuming for dance & Broadway.