In the backyard of her Carolina Beach home, among oak trees and saltwater, Kristin Gibson paints and creates unique art out of canvases of silk.

Each scarf Gibson paints has intricate designs of fruit, vegetables, flowers and the ocean.

Gibson spent her childhood riding her bike along the beaches of New Jersey. For college she moved to eastern North Carolina to study textile surface design and painting at East Carolina University. That’s where her idea for painting scarves began.

“Truly the scarves started as an assignment at ECU. I honestly can’t believe I’m still making them, and truly cannot count how many hundreds I’ve made, each one different,” Gibson said.

Gibson started designing scarves in 1986. Following her graduation in 1990 she designed printed fabric for mattresses and high-end upholstery. She also worked as a children’s wear designer for Healthtex, the innovator behind “the original high tech play clothes.” 

“Those experiences in the textile industry, creating printed fabric from initial painting to supervising the printing in numerous color-ways, still influences my work today,” Gibson said.

In 1995 Gibson moved to Wilmington to help her husband John, a graphic designer, open the first Signal Inc. advertising agency in Wilmington. 

Painting has always been a passion of Gibson’s and when mixing passion with family, philanthropy and business it’s a full time job.

“I am a full time artist and full time cook for my family,” Gibson said. “I paint each day either scarves or canvases, as well as balance the business side.”

Each of Gibson’s scarves takes an extended period of time and talent to create.

“A scarf begins as raw, white silk, painted with various methods of resist and hand-mixed Procion fiber reactive dyes in a painterly style,” Gibson said.

Gibson ensures the individuality of each scarf by painting and hand dying them herself.

“My scarves are inspired by traditional techniques and contemporary exploration,” Gibson said. “They are truly my sketchbook and color studies for my larger paintings on canvas.”

Gibson’s work is displayed in seven galleries throughout North and South Carolina.

Although Gibson stays busy, she still finds time to give back to the community. A portion of her sales is given to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

“Through my work as an artist, I am most proud of the chances I have to ‘give back’ to my community, such as my children’s schools and local arts programs,” Gibson said. “The galleries who represent my work are also dedicated to giving back, and together we support community efforts and a spirit of giving.”

In Wilmington, you can find seasonal collections of Kristin Gibson’s scarves at Spectrum Art & Jewelry in the Forum. Or you can buy them on her website, fineartandfabric.com.