ExhibitiT

Tell Me A Story:  Women In The Arts

This Thursday, January 19, is the opening of the exhibition, Tell Me A Story:  Women in the Arts. This promises to be an exciting exhibition, showcasing 95 females presenting themselves as artists, how and why.  Not only will each exhibit a work of art, but a statement about themselves and their work.  La Quinta Museum will house the show from January 19 to April 30. Put it on your calendars and make sure to spend time seeing and hearing the voices of these women.

Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book of  Faces

Mixed Media

18 x 24

My work, Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book of Faces is one of the 95 works.  Below is my statement that accompanies this mixed media piece of work.

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.

Tell Me A Story:  Women in the Arts

Opening 

Thursday, January 19

5:30 -7:30

La Quinta Museum

Hope to See You There!

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A New Year

New Beginnings

Work in Progress

A new year brings fresh, new beginnings, unless you have an unfinished painting, so this morning I find myself standing in front of the easel working towards completion of this painting before starting something new.  Do you remember this was originally begun for entry in the Invitational Exhibition at the La Quinta Museum?  It was put aside so I could focus on a different creation that forced it's way into my mind.  Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book of Faces was the result and  the work that will be shown in the exhibition that opens next Thursday, January 19.  

Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book of Faces

Pamela Hunt Lee

Mixed Media

24 x 18

The invitational exhibition is titled:  Tell Me A Story:  Women In Art and will run from Jan 19 to Mid April.  This is a celebration of women's art and promises to be filled with fabulous stories and creations.  

Until the opening of the exhibition I will be working on bringing this painting to completion, so I can actually move into the new year and begin something new.

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Invitational Exhibition VI

The Work is Completed.

Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book Of Faces

18 x 24"

Mixed Media

The work has been turned over to the La Quinta Museum for the upcoming invitational exhibition

My piece of art is a mixed media work which has been created for the La Quinta Museum invitational exhibition noted above.  With stretched canvas as a base, acrylic pigment was added, cut out canvas shapes, snake skin and the Book of Faces made with paper.  

Let Me Tell You A Story - With Book of Faces

18 x 24 "

Mixed Media

Every shape and design element inspired by baskets weavers from the Coachella Valley, women who lived and worked from the mid 1800's into the mid 1900's.  Faces of these women depicted in the Book of Faces along with names of many of the women.  

The exhibition opens Thursday, January 19.  Hope to see you at the reception 5:30 - 7:30.  The 95 works of art will remain on exhibition into April as a celebration of Women in Art and Womens' History Month.  Mark your calendars.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

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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Day of the Dead V

Altar Installed

The Palm Springs Art Museum is a stately, modern building which houses an extensive permanent collection as well as featuring rotating exhibitions of note.  What an honor and delight to have been asked to create and install an altar for their Day of the Dead celebration.  And installed it is.

Altar honoring Guadalupe Arenas installed in Palm Springs Art Museum

The design and construction of this altar is meant to honor the tribal women, who were basket weavers and members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The focal point of the altar consists of the painting, Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver, by Pamela Hunt Lee, representing Arenas who lived and worked in the Coachella Valley during the late 1800’s into the mid 1900’s.  

Included on the altar are photos of other basket weavers, including Delores Patencio, who created utilitarian vessels and eventually baskets sought after by collectors during the early 20^th century and what was known as the Curio Trade.  Arenas and her counter parts lived in harsh desert conditions, creating beautiful vessels, a craft handed down from mother to daughter.  In the painting, Guadalupe Arenas is shown surrounded by design elements used in her weaving.  The composition of strangling snakes, her serious look and the palette are symbols of a life led in harsh conditions while creating spectacular baskets. 

The museum’s current exhibition, Grass Roots: Native American Basketry of the West, displays several of the baskets created by Guadalupe Arenas, Delores Patencio and their contemporaries.

All vessels on and around the altar are baskets, some filled with plants symbolizing juncus, sumac and deer grass laboriously collected, prepared and used to weave baskets.  Rocks collected from the desert and small paintings of cactus symbolize the arid environment.  Photographs of Guadalupe Arenas, Delores Patencio and others honor these basket weavers. 

This altar will reside in the Museum through Day of the Dead Celebration on Sunday, October 30, 10-5.  Hope you will join me at the celebration.

To contact me click HERE

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Day of the Dead Altar IV

The Altar is Almost Complete.

More work on the altar is bringing it close to completion. The cut out shapes of eagles, snakes and lizards have been painted to match those in the painting which is the back drop and focal point of the altar.

Painting the eagle shapes.

An adventure into the desert provided a variety of rocks which now fill the baskets sitting on the altar and symbolize the desert in which these basket weavers lived.

Rock filled baskets.

Additional small canvas board paintings were created and now join the other small cactus paintings on the altar providing symbolism of desert plants.

Altar Cactus

8 x10

Pink Barrels

5 x 7

The altar is almost complete, ready for installation. The various components have been assembled and the altar set up in my studio.  Now it will be deconstructed, boxed, made ready to be moved to the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Photos of Coachella Valley Basket Weavers

Detail of Altar

The Palm Springs Art Museum is hosting a Day of the Dead celebration, Sunday, October 30, 10-5.  This altar, honoring Guadalupe Arenas and other indigenous basket weavers of the Coachella Valley will be on display.  Hope to see you there.

Day of the Dead Altar III

What is Day of the Dead?

A few nights ago I was asked by a friend, 'what's going on in your studio?"  I launched into an enthusiastic description of the altar I am creating for Day of the Dead at the Palm Springs Art Museum and after quite a monologue she asked another question, " What is Day of the Dead?"

sketch of the altar 

Interesting question, and one I thought I would answer here. Day of the Dead is a multi day, Mexican holiday that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  It is Dia de los Muertos. Among traditions connected with the holiday is the building of private altars honoring the dead, and the Palm Springs Art Museum celebrates the holiday annually with a few altars scattered through out the museum.  I have been asked, by the Artists Council of the museum to construct an altar.  Typically skulls, marigolds, favorite foods and beverages of the deceased are on placed on the altars.  

  A typical altar

If you follow this blog, you know that the altar I am building is not necessarily typical;  no marigolds, no foods. It does, however, have skulls, flowers and decorations that pay homage to Guadalupe Arenas and other native basket weavers who lived mid 1800's to mid 1900's and whose baskets are revered and collected today. The women to whom the altar is dedicated lived in the Coachella Valley, location of Palm Springs.  

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x48 original acrylic painting

This painting is the basis, background and inspiration for the altar.

Items on the altar consist of design elements in the painting such as the lizards, eagles and snakes. These are also some of what was used as designs in the baskets created by these women.

Lizards, before they have been painted, crawling up and over the flowers.

Eagles, before they have been painted, flying up the altar and over the baskets.

Snake skins cascading and undulating over the altar.

Small desert plant paintings that will be displayed on the altar to represent the desert environment.

The altar is under construction, and continues to be a creative endeavor for me.  There is more to do to accomplish the completion and install the altar on October 23rd in the Palm Springs Art Museum. There is also a Day of the Dead Celebration in the museum on October 30, 10-4.  Hope to see you there.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE