| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Andrés Mendoza Straw Art
One traditional art form is straw art (painting with straw) developed by Andrés Mendoza's grandfather. Like his grandfather, Andrés takes ordinary wild straw, colors it, and then creates typical scenes of the Mexico peasants, campesinos, in their villages or in the country-side. As with many art forms, patience is the most desirable attribute for a master of straw but Andrés says he enjoys all the parts that go together toward making the final art piece. First, he personally searches for the wild straw in the mountains of Jalisco, selecting the right size and thickness. He treks into the mountains collecting the straw. The leaves, dirt, and thorns are then removed and the straw is put into an acid bath to allow dye absorption. Next, the straw must be dyed with insect or vegetable dyes. Dyes are made from the natural-found substances shown below. Pulverized and mixed with water, each becomes a unique color used in straw art.
Next, The design is sketched on paper or cardboard. The beeswax is purified by boiling and straining it to eliminate impure particles and then a thin coat is lightly spread over the design. Then the straw is gently placed on the wax piece by tiny piece and cut with a tool similar to an Exacto blade. The straw crisscrosses in several directions which provides texture and detail to the painting. Crisscrossing prevents the straw from tumbling off if the beeswax should dry. One square inch has approximately one to five hundred pieces of straw. It is a challenge to create a subject that sells well. In Galería Maestros del Arte, the subject matter that sells fastest are "people." The best selling are Andrés' bullfighters, mariachis and dancers because the detail and colors are so compelling. He also creates landscapes, scenes from the pueblo, churches, etc. When people admire his work, this gentle man smiles a broad smile. It means a great deal to him that his hard work is appreciated. If you are interested in purchasing some of Andrés' work, call Marianne Carlson at 011522 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com Prices
below do not include shipping | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Straw
Paintings |
|
Remember,
these paintings are made by pressing tiny pieces of colored straw into
beeswax. They are not painted. To achieve the subtleties of shading
and texture is very difficult with such a medium. |
|
Woman in Front of Church
|
Bullfighter
|
Mexican Woman
Click on the photo to see a larger version. |
Fisherman Click on the photo to see a larger version. |
Woman on Street Click on the photo to see a larger version. |
3 Men in the
Street
|
Woman
with Baby Click on the photo to see a larger version. |
 Dancers
#1
|
Man on Burro
#1
|
 Dancers
#2
|
Man on Burro #2
|
Man
Loading Burro
|
Man on Burro #3
|
 Man
on Burro with Woman & Man Walking
|
Man on Burro #4
|
 Man
Walking with Burro
|
(Our
thanks to Norm Tihor for the use of his photographs)
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
land called Mexico has many moods and faces. Without a doubt, Mexico is
steeped in ancient Indian lore, seasoned with Spanish colonial customs.
The array of folk art and crafts in Mexico is simply mind-boggling. Each
region of Mexico has its own specialty, with villagers maintaining the
traditions handed down from countless generations.