A self-taught designer and artist, Sharon Fraites nee Tullock is also a fashion icon and full-time housewife and she is passing on her knowledge to the younger generation in the hope they will continue to be creative and grow the art of fabric painting and other forms of art work.
“About 30 years ago, I started working with children because there weren’t many meaningfulactivities for them to do over the August holidays. They always showed an interest in painting.
To me they liked painting more than craft. Now I tutor the children of children who came to meover those 25 to 30 years. It is something I’m very proud about,” Fraites, who is now 62 years old, told the Stabroek Weekend in an interview.
She conducts six sessions, three times a week over a two-week period during the morning hoursso that in the afternoons they can take part in other extra-curricular activities.
“I teach them to transfer patterns onto fabric. They don’t have to be big artists. They mayphotocopy a picture and they can use the carbon to transfer the pattern onto the fabric. Theypaint. They do cutouts. They do stencils all in the summer workshops. I emphasise painting onfabric and canvas and not just painting on paper,” she said.
“They paint on their t-shirts, their own dresses and they can proudly say, ‘I did this myself’. It may not be perfect but they are proud of their handiwork. I give them things to do thatthey can utilise, and things that in future they can do for others. That is most important. Theypaint on canvas that they can hang up in their rooms. They paint cushions, just to name a fewthings they do.”
She noted that tie dye is common and it does not take a long time to learn that skill. She teachesher charges to make fashionable accessories.
Initially when she started the workshops over the August holidays, Fraites said it was on and offbecause she got into developing an adult clothing line and that became somewhat demanding.
At no time did she have more than 15 children in her workshops which were held at her home.“I was always fortunate to have space for that. I liked the small classes because I like to give thechildren individual attention. I have to squeeze out the paints from tubes and I have to directthem to stay within the lines. I have to encourage them, give some of them, who just need a littlepush, ideas,” she added.
She has had children in her workshops from as young as four years old. Some of them continued until they entered high school.
From feedback parents gave her, she said, the workshops have helped their children to develop inmany ways. “It is not only for fun. They learn to create. They learn to develop their ideas. Ithelps them with their school projects in the arts and science,” she said.
A few days ago, Fraites said, she was speaking to parents of some of the children who attended the last session. The parents said they still had some of the things they made as children at theworkshops.
“That goes to show how some of them treasure what they did in their childhood,” she noted.One parent, she said, told her she was most excited to have her children joining her workshopbecause she remembered the fun she had as a child.
Fraites does not only hold workshops during the August holidays. Based on requests from herfriends she has held some during the Christmas and Easter holidays. Easter is especially popularbecause at that time most families do not travel as they do during the August holidays.
“Christmas time I take in a few children and we do everything related to Christmas. Christmas t-shirts. I run different sessions during the August holidays. Easter workshops are generally good.Children paint Easter eggs. They make Easter bunnies and their own hats.
I buy the hats and I let the children paint flowers on fabric, cut them out and paste them onto the hats with colourful ribbons, feathers and eggs. They paint their own eggs. That is one of the attractions of the Easter Programme,” she outlined.
During the workshops, the children also have play time where they are allowed to run and exercise.
“I am always there supervising them. When they’re on their break, I take my break too. When they’re playing, I watch them. When they’re working they keep me busy. They walk with their snacks. I provide all the materials,” she said.
After the children leave, Fraites spends time tidying up, sanitising and preparing for the next day. Some parents, she said, would like her to do a Saturday class. It is a suggestion she has not made a decision on.
Fraites said she is interested in sharing her knowledge with adults and has offered classes but not many are interested. “They always come up with a lot of excuses. I would like to pass down what I know.
You could be a housewife like me doing something on the side to make an extra dollar for the family or for yourself,” she said.
Some years ago, Fraites trained a number of women who were affected by HIV/AIDS in her area of expertise to assist in empowering them to be self-employed. “I see the women every now and then, and they always approach me and give an update on what they are doing,” she said.
Fabric painting
The mother of three sons said she got into fabric painting and custom-made clothing, firstly for children and then adults though the encouragement of a friend, Pauline, who did screen printing on t-shirts when she lived in Trinidad and Tobago.
“That was how I started dabbling in painting on cotton and now mostly in cotton and linen. At the time, I was a full-time housewife. I had no formal training in painting. I didn’t go to art school. I learnt by researching, reading and through trial and error perfecting the art and craft over the years. I have always loved art. I’m not the kind of artist who would sit down and paint portraits. I mostly do abstracts, flora and fauna on fabric, on clothing,” she said.
“I learned from my mistakes and the mistakes of others as I tried to master the art. It takes a lot of practice over the years to perfect the craft. It doesn’t happen overnight. I do a lot of outlining with 3D paints. I work with flats and 3Ds.”
Her only formal training in art work was at her alma mater, St Joseph High School where she sat the subject art at the General Certificate of Examinations Ordinary Level.
By the way, Fraites was one of the students at St Joseph High when the school became co- educational in 1976. She preferred the all-girls school at the time.
After dabbling with paint on cotton and falling in love with her creations on apparel and how they looked on her, and based on the reviews she got from her friends, Fraites took the plunge.
“I just started out like that. Now I see myself as a designer. I had someone sewing for me at my home. Someone wanted a dress or an outfit I would get an idea of what they liked and wanted and I painted it for them on their outfit. That was years ago. I am still doing it but on a much smaller scale,” she said.
She sees herself as a designer. “I started with children’s clothes because people weren’t painting children’s clothing. After a period of time I went into adult clothing. I don’t sew. I have someone sewing for me. I paint mostly cotton and linen. I tried with other materials but there are certain materials you cannot paint.”
She took part in the first ever GuyExpo held in 1995 where she showcased her hand-painting on fabric that were made from the cotton that was harvested from Kimbia.
“That was how I more or less started. GuyExpo was the first place I started exhibiting my work on a small scale. I got into a couple fashion shows. I also did fashion shows for my church if it was hosting a tea party or fair. That was how I began advertising my work,” she said.
Last year, she staged a fashion show for Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church as a side attraction at a tea party. She has also done similar shows at Our Lady of Fatima and Holy Rosary RC churches.
“I don’t charge a fee when I am doing these fashion shows for the church. However, they advertise my work,” she noted.
In terms of fashion shows, Fraites has had her clothing lines displayed at fashion shows with other designers at the Umana Yana, Princess Ramada Hotel, Pegasus Hotel, Red House, State House, the then Ocean View Hotel and International Convention Centre, the then National Bank for Industry and Commerce, St Joseph High School and Marian Academy.
The church members modelled her clothing line while models were assigned for other events.
“I did all of this while I was raising three sons. My husband Denis supported me wholeheartedly. I had a little car. I’d open the trunk, throw a sheet in it and put all the clothes inside alone with a mirror and I gone to exhibit my work,” she said.
Apart from catering for all sizes, Fraites also focuses on plus sizes. She paints shirts for men as well.
Fraites has never had a store or a shop to sell her work. “I worked from home and based on orders. I have a few faithful clients for many years. I am just a housewife, a mother, who was looking after three sons, just doing this on the side and earning an income at the same time.
As you know, clothes are things that are not sold every day. People going away for the August holidays might want two hand-painted outfits to look different or they might order an item or two to give as gifts,” she said.
When people order, they generally know beforehand what it is they want but a lot of people just leave it up to her to paint something eye-catching and stylish. “I don’t have to go into books anymore to show what is available. Everyone has a cell phone. They share their style.
Sometimes, I cut out the stencil and elaborate on the patterns. Sometimes it’s just freehand. It depends on what comes to mind,” she added.
Her sons were never interested in following in her footsteps. They saw it as girly things.
However, her nine-year-old granddaughter, Evangeline, loves art work.
“The other day she picked up one of my canvases and did her own thing. I said, ‘Look how you use my material. Suppose I had to use that for another child, I would’ve been short’. She said, ‘Gramma, I painted this for you.’ How could I be angry?”
