ArtAndes Blog

During a busy ten days on the road with art fairs in Madison WI, & Ann Arbor MI, Wilber and I had two days off and cheerfully managed to visit both the Chicago Art Institute and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Each year that Wilber is in the states for the summer, we look to the masters for inspiration for weaving design and color. We started our design process together, 22 years ago, in the museums of Peru, and for the most part the Pre-Colombian geometrics remain the cornerstone of the ArtAndes designs. However I am especially drawn to Abstract Expressionism. There are always a few paintings that lend themselves to being transferred to a loom and woven with the rich hues of natural dyes. I must say though, it doesn't  always work out. But one that we will attempt soon is by Pollock's wife, Lee Krasner (American, 1908– 1984), an influential Abstract Expressionist painter. I was drawn to her Milkweed painting from 1955. Having a hearty crop of Milkweed makes me appreciate this piece even more.