Painting #2 in the Lessons from the Spider Woman project is finished.
This detail of the finished piece shows a snippet of the completed composition which includes more of Spider Woman’s veil, a basket, pot, fetish, and chili peppers. It has been interesting composing with a Southwest Desert theme, especially because this topic is so foreign to me. Challenging though it is, I sought advise from others very knowledgeable on this topic.
Herschel McGraw in Portland is a consummate art appraiser and expert on Native American art. He was instrumental in facilitating a meeting with Cecil Quintana, from Quintana Gallery, also in Portland. Both have coached me towards a better understanding of the art and crafts of the Southwest, specifically the black on black pottery of Maria Martinez of the San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Maria Martinez is the most famous Pueblo Indian potter, who was a formidable force in the international scene also. She lived a simple life creating her craft, participating in pueblo life near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Though she was most famous for her black on black ware, she also was known for the polychrome style, using mostly terra-cotta with black and white. Mostly she employed geometric designs but also included feathers, plant forms, clouds, and animals. Julian, her husband and partner, was well known for the detailed line work on the pots.
Painting the black on black pottery on canvas is challenging, and every step along the way is an experiment. But I just put my mad scientist self to work and search for a palette of colors that will convey the colors/values on the subject at hand. More about the results next time.