In a earlier SHARDS post I introduced one of my new summer online workshops for Artful Gathering ( an art “camp” for artists, teachers and students) called Southwestern Stripes: Serapes and Sunsets.
In the workshop, I teach the AG students how to use classic stripes and geometrics inspired by Navajo weavings and Pendleton blankets as inspiration in their paintings and mixed-media art.
This is a 90 second outtake showing one of the things we talk about in the four-hour class. (If you can’t see the video screen, click the “Outtake 2” link)
Outtake 2 – Southwest Stripes for Artful Gathering from Lyn Belisle on Vimeo.
As usual, the students are exceeding my expectations. The class still has almost three weeks to go, and they are already producing some impressive work.
Here are three pieces by workshop participant Christine Luchini showing several ways she uses these techniques:
Lee Ann Lilly did these three, including the collage spirit doll and two beautiful small card paintings:
Here are three more student works, two by Ronda Miller and one by Paulanne Sorenson:
Just day before yesterday, Ronda wrote in our discussion forum, “I live in the Phoenix area so I see A LOT of serape art and Native American art. My awareness has been lifted to new heights since I have taken this workshop…kind of like you buy a blue VW because you didn’t see many of them – until AFTER you buy one, then, WHAM, they are everywhere! haha.” Ronda also said “I am an abstract artist so I want to find a way to add a tad bit of serape design to my art and still have people know it is still my work.”
Boy, is that true about seeing serape patterns everywhere – I am paying a lot more attention to serape designs since I started teaching this class. Wouldn’t you know it, the new Warhol/Schenck Exhibit at the Briscoe Museum here in San Antonio has a ton of them!
I was there last week, and fell in love with Billy Schenck’s use of serape patterns:
Bill Schenck
Bill Schenck, 2014
Bill Schenck, oil on canvas
Here’s the info about the exhibit if you’re in San Antonio and want to see this and some fine Warhol prints as well.
And to add more stripes to the serape story, I just found this beautiful book for $1.00 at the Central Library BookCellar used book store.
Here’s a selection from the book’s introduction that talks about the Spirit Line in weaving – I love it! It goes right along with, “I meant to do that!”
If you want even more Southwestern inspiration, My second Artful Gathering class, Neo-Santos: Creating Personal Spirit Guardians, opens on July 16th.
What was that old commercial about “Yikes! Stripes!”? – there is, and always will be, something fascinating about woven striped serapes and the Southwest.
Happy summer, happy 4th!
