Jane Lannagan is self-taught, but was born into an artistic family and studied art at evening classes while working as a laboratory technician. During a diploma course in dress and design she discovered the medium of Batik and fell in love with this ancient craft. Jane has spent the time while bringing up her four children and running a catering business to develop her own style and technique. She now exhibits and sells her work across the north and from her own gallery in Tomintoul.

Jane says: "The varying hues and textures of the Scottish Highlands have been a constant inspiration and have greatly influenced my work."


To make a Batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and then the cloth is dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colourful designs. After the final dyeing, the wax is removed and fabric ready to use or frame.

Jane explains: "The ancient art of Batik has moved a long way since it arrived in the western world. It has, what appears to some, no artistic legacy in this country, but used in both craft and art form it is an enthralling way to express ones self. I use it to produce landscapes and other subject matter and I find the technique gives great fluidity to the work and a unique quality, which can be fully appreciated alongside the more conventional techniques of oil and watercolour painting."