What kind of medium is this? This is a form of the thread painting where thread or yarn covers the surface of the artwork. 

 

What is your inspiration? This form of an art is used in different cultures especially in the last couple of centuries after the invention of a commercial thread. I seen an example of it as a child in the museum and was fascinated. Later I came in contact with it by observing the ancient tradition of Huichols (or as they refer to themselves Wixáritari) yarn painting. Huichols are an indigenous group inhabiting the mountains of central Mexico. To create the art they cover the surface of an artwork with the mixture of bee’s wax and resin and press the yarn into it side by side, thread by thread. Huichols use their art to connect to their ancestors by painting their stories full of symbolist and mythology, and now to preserve their distinct culture. If you buy the Huichol art, please do your research and buy an original as Huichols depend on that income for survival.

 

How is it made? I use my own technique that I developed to cover the surface of the artwork with the thread.The threads are glued to the cardboard in ever evolving design to create different pattern. I find that gluing it provides the best and most secure bond while beeswax might not work as well in Colorado climate.

 

What materials do you use to create your art? I use embroidery or crochet threads, glue, sometimes beads and felt and a variety of tools to press the thread onto the surface as the fingers often are too large of a tool for this job. 

 

How long does it take? The actual “painting” process takes anywhere from couple of weeks to multiple month. Just to give you an idea, it can take about an hour to do couple of inches worth of uncomplicated thread-work. Larger work or more complex artwork can take even longer. Of course it also takes time to come up and create the design, transfer it, prepare and make the background especially if it’s a sculpture, decide on the desired color combination and texture before I can even start “painting”.

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What do you use as a base for your sculptures? I make it out of paper and cardboard or lately papier-mâché and use the same surface technique as above.