About

Hello, my name is Vicky Luffman, and I am the owner of Brick Street Gallery and Studio located in Lakeland, Florida. I am a Silk Painter and Fiber Artist, and I have been teaching Silk Painting for over 30 years. I have been a member of Silk Painters International for 20 years, attending several conferences over the years, learning from the best instructors around. Additionally, I teach classes in Felting, Textile Design, Shibori (shape resist dyeing) and Book Making. My studio also offers classes in Watercolor, Oil, Plein Air Painting, Needlework, Sewing and Quilting Arts, taught by very talented and award-winning local artists. I also teach regularly at John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.

I worked in watercolor until I discovered my passion for Silk Painting, loving the complexity of the medium and the amazing vibrancy of the dyes on silk. I have studied under some of the best silk painting artists, learning everything I could about resist and dye application, advanced techniques, and composition. My growth as an artist really took off when I started painting on silk because it challenged what I thought I knew about painting. Silk painting helped me develop more confidence as I learned to work outside of my comfort zone. I am an experimental artist, looking for ways to combine methods and techniques; how to push the boundaries and master this medium. My passion is teaching everything I know about Silk Painting to my students because I want to help them become successful artists. I teach all levels of Silk Painting from basic resist application and painting techniques through the advanced no-resist method developed by Silk Painter Karen Sistek.

My love for the Fiber Arts extends beyond silk painting. I teach all methods of hand dyeing and Shibori (Japanese method of shape-resist dyeing), eco-printing onto silk and paper with botanicals. I love creating custom dyed silk scarves and fabric. I save all of my dyed scraps and cast-offs for other fiber projects such as weaving and felting.

My journey as a fiber artist also includes all levels of wet felting, from flat felting to sculptural felting techniques. I love the tactile nature of felting, feeling the softness of the wool and creating beautiful, colorful wearables such as shawls, capes, scarves, tunics, jackets. I love the vibrant colors of hand dyed wool. I love creating decorative sculptural pieces for gallery shows, introducing this non-traditional medium to the public. My favorite thing to do when traveling is to seek out fiber shops and look for beautiful hand dyed wools and unique fibers to use in my projects.

Handmade papers have made their way into my studio as I began to study Book Making. I am self-taught in Book Arts and began teaching others this amazing, creative process of making your own books and journals for sketching, journaling, travel logs, etc. The books contain beautiful handmade papers or eco printed pages. They can be stamped, printed, embellished and completed with custom made covers and beautiful stitching to bind them.

Visit my class page and meet the other artists that teach at my studio. Visit my contact page to register for scheduled classes or contact me for more information. I also invite inquiries for scheduling workshops at other studios and arts centers.

Call or text today for more information: (863) 604-8550

Current Teachers

Wayne Chunat, Kimberly Booth, Kimberly Smith, Vicky Luffman