Where the Spider Went

Do you remember that old story about the vain Princess Arachne and  the Goddess Athena. Well the short story is Athena turned Arachne into a spider as she wove more beautifully than Athena and dared to brag about it. That wonderfully weaving spider travelled far and is alive and well today among Mayan women in Guatemala. When you go to  markets whether in  Chichiconstanango, Solola, or Antigua you will find masses of handmade textiles. These are not made in factories or somewhere in Asia, but right there in the small homes of Guatemalan Mayans.

They are woven for the most part on Back Strap Looms by women. Especially the fabric for blouses, called Huipils and the fabric for skirts which are called Cortes. The fabric is not cut and seamed as in some great couturier house in Paris. The fabric which is woven the width of the weavers hips, is sewn into panels and made into the garment. It is said the Mayan woman weaves to keep order. Each morning she places her head and her children and husband place their heads at the center of  fabric which she has made and represents the center of the world.

The colors and designs selected are those particular to the town in which the weaver originates.

the majority of the above huipils are from the Chichiconstanango region, the sun rays from the neckline identify them.

 Originally natural dyes were used but of course now one can find other threads than cotton and linen. Although particular cotton plants introduced by the Spanish are still used as are native ones. linen and silk and acrylic threads are used as well. Also a standing loom(which is reputed to have been introduced by the Spanish) can be used and is more frequently used by men for larger widths of fabric.  Material for a corte(skirt) can take approximately 8 hours to make.

Will this young girl grow to be the weaver her mother is? Or will she be wearing tee shirts and jeans and not know she was woven into the center of her mothers universe. The level of skill the material is woven among the indigenous people of Guatemala is consistently high but can it withstand the blunt hits of the modern world and the consistent beating of poverty. Will the goddess of weaving, Ixchel, still thrive among these people?   Can the women receive fair value for their work? Many fair trade orgainzations are trying to make this possible.  

For now, know that if you are a lover of exquisite craftsmanship and bold color Guatemala should be put on your bucket list.

Winter Surprises

Small delicate color has finally burst forth at my house. I  have owned an orchid plant for 6 years that has not put forth one flower. Finally this week with our topsy turvy Rocky Mountain spring weather ( 84 one day with snow and the 30's the nest day), inside my dry arid Colorado home beauty has arrived. 
I wonder if my shy Denver orchid knew the magnificent orchid cousins I had seen in Guatemala.

This jade colored orchid is one of the most amazing sights. When I first saw it in Antigua 2 years ago it was in a small boutique hotel.  It now resides at Las Escalonias a garden which has a small informal cafe on its grounds. Cafe de la Escalonia provides a wonderful place for a light lunch with fresh blended fruit juices and fine desserts under these hanging Thunbergia orchides.

I have seen these orchids in a number of home and restaurant gardens in Antigua. But thought you would enjoy being showered by raining orchids.

Immersed in Color

I've just been engulfed in the color found in the country of Guatemala. A total color immersion experience!

I spent  6 weeks walking mainly the streets of Antigua. Building ankle strength on cobblestones and eye muscles as I looked at the color lined streets. Catching glimpses of homes, hotels, stores hidden behind restored 17th century walls.

Watching out for chicken buses as they barreled over the bumpy streets with "the workers" calling out "Guate!Guate! Guate" I decided after seeing how the Guatemalan buses were decorated that would be the job I would want. Transformation of yellow school buses to rapidly passing colorful buses.

Sharing the street with people walking from here to there wearing, beautifully woven clothing.

Past the yellow , La Merced church.

Looking up to see flowers cared, tended and simply flowering above rooftops and framing volcanoes.

 I've returned to a brown, punctuated in my yard by 4 yellow daffodils and one morning the lines of  white snow clinging to the edge of my garden framing fence.

But I know more wild color is coming. I sense a promise of color based on my previous 6 week experience in Central America.

Pastel Memories

Getting ready to head down south to pretty gardens and warm streets. Way  south to Central America to Guatemala the land of the wonderful weavers.

This is a  pastel I am working on which shows two Guatemalan playing their native Marimba. I don't think I will take my pastels to G. But I will have my trusty camera and sketchbook with the brush tipped pins. Hope to come back bursting with  ideas!

These are pastels based on last years trip.

Baby its Cold Outside!

I think this painting by Alfred Sisley says it all! It was cold in 1878 and it is cold today in 2011! Fortunately, even though I have a scratchy throat and a little malaise I have good memories created about

by Alfred Sisley
"La Neige a Louveciennes-1878"
walking among the palms toward the beach in Nueva Vallarta. I know, I even complained because it was cooler than expected. But now that it is -1.1 degrees  in Denver I have a whole new outlook.

    Now I imagine I know how Paul Gauguin felt when he returned from Tahiti. Trying to expliquait to all of his Parisian friends the warmth of the sand. Trying to describe the waving palms and the boom of the surf in the early morning. So now this arctic blast has brought me a kinship back across time to a man for whom I had much admiration for his use of orange.

"Arearea-1892"
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
Museed'Orsay

One Day Off but still celebrating!

"Pommes vertes" c 1873, Musee d'Orsay

The 19th of January was the official day of  the artist Paul Cezanne's birthday. He was a master of making form solid. He did not use optical devices to create the illusion of form but rather attempted to create form by exaining all sides. This is an early painting of his that shows his love of form.
In a book entitled "A guide to Impressionist Landscapes" by Patty Lurie, a book designed to be used on a self designed walking tour, (Tours of sights artists painted long ago), I found sites Cezanne painted early in his career. When Cezanne was turning away from the use of black in his early Spanish influenced paintings he trailed around with Pisarro absorbing the use of lighter colors and painting out of the studio. He rented a place in Auvers, near Dr. Gatchet. Yes the Dr. Gatchet who later was to unsucessfully treat Van Gogh. Gatchet's house for 40years was a gathering place for artists; according to Ms. Lurie.

Ms. Lurie also points out the brighter colors Cezanne is allowing himself with which to paint and the fact that he is more interested in the forms of the structures rather than any wandering farmer or peasant the might be in the vicinity.

This painting was included in the first Impressionist Exhibit of 1874. To catch up on more of Cezannes' life and influence I include these 2 links. Enjoy and Celebrate! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cézanne http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2011/01/paul_cezannes_birthday_celebra.html

What Plein Aire artists do in the Winter

They put on warm stuff and go outside. Check out Stapleton  Kearns blog, which I have been following as he bravely pushes into the coooooold elements. http://stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/.

Here in Denver until this past week we had luxuriously warm winter weather. So with some fellow artists, instead of staying inside painting a model, we went outside. One of our fellow artists discovered Belmar Lake and we put on our heavy boots and bundled up a little ( eat your heart out Stapleton!).

Heather and Shelby are setting up and looking around. Shelby was the artist who clued me into this site. I love it because we are in the city but it feels like we are

much more isolated. Geese of course were everywhere.  Horses could be seen being ridden on the other side of the lake, walkers were out and stopped by to note our progress.

Now that warm January day is but a memory. I am heading to a much more southern beach this coming weekend. Puerto Vallarta here I come! More beach pictures to come in the future!       

http://stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/