Invitational Exhibition III

Next Part of the Process

Once the statement for Tell Me A Story:  Women In Art was complete (it was included in my last blog post), it was time to begin the actual work of art for the exhibition. Requirements: 1.  Must be specifically created for this show, 2. Must be presented on an 18x24" gallery wrap canvas.

My thought was to create a painting in a style similar to the last two Basket Weaver paintings completed;  Madame Butterfly and Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver.  

Madame Butterfly

40 x40

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x 48

If you follow my Facebook Artist's Page you have seen photos of the beginning and progress of the new painting. 

Beginning of new painting

Additional progress on new painting

New painting with stylized basket designs used by Delores Patencio circling around her.

However, every time I stepped up to the easel I had a nagging thought that this painting just wasn't right.  It wasn't the painting itself, it was the idea behind the painting.  This is Delores Saneva Patencio, an historical, basket weaving member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.  She would be a perfect subject and one I have painted several times. Eventually I realized my problem was connected to the statement.  The statement that will be exhibited with the painting talks about telling the story of the women, not one woman.  This work needed several faces, not just one.

It was a break through that brought additional ideas.  If I was to paint several faces, representing several different women, why not present them in book form?  After all, this is telling a story, and stories are found in books.  This required book making research.

Creasing 140 lb. cold press paper with a bone folder.

 

Punching holes to facilitate stitching the pages together.

Sewing the pages together with waxed thread.

I decided I would present eight faces, eight actual women who lived in the Coachella Valley and are known as basket weavers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I created one book of 8 pages, but before painting these pages thought I would paint on loose sheets and then perhaps create another book, with the painted papers, after the paintings were done.  This so I could paint freely, not worrying about mistakes, and have the option of using one or another.  After more research about basket weavers and hours of time in front of the computer to locate photographs, I selected the following seven women and painted them in large, rapid brush strokes: Ramona Lubo, Rosa Lugo, Guadalupe Arenas, Mary Kintano, Delores Saneva Patencio, Maria Los Angeles, Mercedes Nolasquez.

First a black and white palette with the thought of 'bringing the women out of the shadows'.

Then Raw Umber added into the palette,

Burnt Sienna added, 

Burnt Umber introduced, 

and finally Yellow Ochre was added.

For the cover sheet of the book I created a compilation of the women:

Back to the process of actually making a book out of the painted sheets of paper.  This time I used a raffia type of material to sew the pages before gluing the spine and attaching snake skin as the binding. Both the raffia and snake symbolize materials and designs used by these basket weavers.

Now that the paintings were actually in book form, names of many noted Coachella Valley basket weavers were added to the cover, circling the head of the woman.  Designs were added to her head scarf which symbolize those woven into some baskets.

As you can see, I also ripped the pages to obtain an undulating, wide, deckle edge which would allow the successive pages to peek out beneath the top page.  With this book of faces in hand I had to address a very blank canvas and figure out how to attach the book and what to create behind the book.  Stay tuned....

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Invitational Ex hibition II

Tell Me A Story:  Women In Art
An Invitational exhibition at the La Quinta Museum that will open January 1 and run through April 1017.

The invitational exhibition Tell Me A Story:  Women In Art , in which I am participating, requires a 300 word statement about the artist or the art work. It can be fact or fantasy.... that is an open door of possibilities. My mind started to spin in many directions when I learned I needed to write a statement, but settled on the continuing growth of my series of Native American Basket Weavers.  After all, I am telling their story through paintings. It is a significant part of my story and certainly it is theirs, but how to present this in word? 

I repeat over and over, time after time, in many different situations, "I am a visual artist, not a verbal artist."  This part of the project seemed a daunting challenge.  

While hiking with an author friend of mine I brought this up and started asking questions; we discussed and bounced ideas back and forth. Shirley encourage me to address why I paint portraits of basket weavers, the motivation behind the work. We dissected my years of involvement with weaving, painting, Native American culture and how it all worked together.  

It was time to tackle this statement.  After a write, re-write, edit, another write, critique from Shirley, another re-write or two, counting the number of words, edit, counting....you get it....long process...sometimes a frustrating process....I decided it was complete.

Finally, finally I was satisfied with the statement.  Here it is:

Let me Tell You A Story

This is a story of the responsibility to tell a story.  I was tapped on the shoulder and inspired by a mother who claimed a previous life as a tribal member, tapped on the shoulder when, as a basket weaver myself, I learned about Native weavers, tapped on the shoulder by the invisible hand of the tribal weavers, given the responsibility to tell the story.  The story that took place across the land, the story of an art form passed from mother to daughter, of cultural history, artistic vision and innovation;  the story of women working with natural fibers producing utilitarian containers.  The story of women who honed their basket making skills from childhood, developing a close relationship with their natural environment, creating vessels designed to carry burdens.  But the story changed and the burden shifted with the influx of settlers who appropriated the land.  It shifted as the basket makers became domestic employees in settlers' homes.  The art and skill of basket making came close to being sacrificed to the advance of the settlers' alien civilization.  Eventually the settlers recognized the skill and artistry required to create these beautiful baskets, and tribal women began to create baskets for the Curio Trade.  This is the story of innovation as the basket weavers recognized how to have their designs appeal to a non-native consumer, utilizing traditional techniques, relying on what their mothers' and culture taught while developing artistic expression within the baskets.  Their baskets became emblems of heritage, statements about cultural evolution, sought after by collectors, dealers, museums.  What started as an art created out of necessity evolved into a form of expression.  Today we see their spectacular basketry, but we do not see them.  This is the responsibility to tell their story.  

Thank you to Shirley and others who encouraged, guided, and  helped me shape this statement.  

Statement done, so on to the next part of the project.  Next blog post will start to take you through that process.

To contact me click HERE

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Invitational Exhibition.

What is an Invitational Exhibition?

We will start with that.  Basically, a gallery or museum contacts artists and asks them to participate in an exhibition. Typically there is a theme or purpose of some sort.  An artist is invited to show a piece or pieces of work, frequently given guide lines and restrictions.  The altar I created for Day of the Dead at the Palm Springs Art Museum was actually an invitational exhibition, because along with a few others I was asked to participate.

Day of the Dead Altar of Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver.

A couple months ago I received another invitation, from the La Quinta Museum, to participate in an exhibition this winter called 'Tell Me A Story: Women In Art'. I accepted, and so while working on the altar, I was also working on various parts of what I will show in this upcoming exhibition.  

One hundred female artists have been invited to join a 4 month exhibition celebrating women in the arts.  Each of us will show a piece of art created specifically for this exhibition which runs from January 2017 - April 2017. A showcase for each artist and her story, this is also an observation of International Women's Day on March 8, and part of Women's History Month.

My work on portraits of basket weavers fits perfectly into the theme and female emphasis.  I would like to spend the next month of blog posts taking you through my creative process, the inspiration, what I have been doing and working on to fulfill the requirements for the exhibition.

Dat so la Lee with Five Digikup

48 x 36

Madame Butterfly

40 x 40

Dat so la Lee with Eight Digikup

24 x 24

It all started with a 300 word document.  Now that may sound like a lot of words, but when you have a lot to say it's easy to blast through 300 words.  I spent days writing, editing, asking for help from friends who write ( I am a visual artist, not a verbal artist), writing and rewriting and finally ended up with a statement that I find perfect.  It is creative, unique and explains why I am painting these women.  It begins....  This is a story about the responsibility to tell a story.  And it goes on from there.

Next blog post will contain the statement in its entirety.  I think you will find it intriguing.   I will also talk more about the struggle to write such a statement.  Until then....

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

Dat so la Lee, Queen of the Washoe Basket Makers

24 x 24