I am often asked how I come up with my stylized designs. Honestly, there’s nothing original about this work! I have a passion for folk art and traditional crafts, and for a while now I’ve been travelling to other countries to learn and soak up imagery like a sponge. For me, traditional crafts are inspiring and meaningful, and I embrace the term “craft” to describe my own work.
Folk art and craft are a different kind of approach from contemporary art, though there is often a crossover. These are skills passed down through generations, either learned at home or through apprenticeships. Usually, craft is at least somewhat functional, or began as something useful, even if only for ritual and cultural purposes, such as masks and costume items.
Folk art is usually characterized by bold designs and high contrast, and most often, themes are related to nature, and our dependence on it. You will see this all over the world: Tree of life, skulls/skeletons and death symbols, and flowers, birds and other animals, and sun, moon and stars. You will see humans represented in folk art, usually engaged in life-giving activities like birthing and farming and food gathering. As someone who has always lived far from cities, these images resonate with me and find their way into my designs.
Our most recent trip was to Chiapas, Mexico, the most southern state in the country. In fact, it is the farthest south you can travel in North America, bordering Guatemala. We spent the most time in San Cristobal de las Casas, taking day trips to smaller towns to explore markets and seek out artists. We also spent 3 days in northern Chiapas in the jungliest jungle I’ve ever been to near the town of Palenque. There, we stayed in cabins in a Howler Monkey sanctuary just outside of the incredible ruins located there. At night, the haunting sounds of the monkeys calling and responding would fill the air, though they stayed out of sight. There were waterfalls everywhere – it was absolutely incredible.
This slideshow barely touches on all that we experienced in our 12 day trip, but it might give you a glimpse. Maybe it will inspire you to take a trip to Chiapas! *Also, I have started a second instagram page dedicated to folk art and travels: @folkartadventures. Check it out if this topic is of interest.
