Calling down the rain..

Calling down the rain.

When you live in the desert, you learn the various types of rain that befall the land. There are male rains, there are female rains. Cloud invoke a sense of wonder, a knowing of what is to come, a prayer for abundance.

Su:Dagi O’wud Doakog. Water is Life.

I departed California shortly after the wildfires had destroyed neighborhoods in La and once again, I began thinking about the element that provides all life, down the water that holds us inside the womb as babies. Everything on this planet depends on water. Water is cleansing and a simple practice each week can help us to keep our spirits clean. Bathing is not only relaxing but a subtle reminder on how to blend into the element that comprises a large percentage of our bodies. Speaking loving words and praying into water is one of my favorite rituals, one I learned many years ago in the early morning of Tipi. The seasons we are exposed too on this planet remind us that all life comes, goes and exists because of water. Living here in Santa Fe, I eagerly await the monsoon season as it’s presence blooms a dry summer.

I’m always thining about the colors I find peaceful when I am at home in the desert of Arizona. The delicate color of ciolim before it blooms is a gentle sage, I can easily imagine the color in it’s environment as I write. In appreciating the delicate nature of greens, what it represents in my mind, in my heart and for the land, I wanted to create a work that honors the balance of life with water, and, life without it. This piece represents calling down the rains so they will blanket the Earth in new sprouts, seeds will crack open and a verdant reality will return.

Embers Collection

Embers Collection was released the second week of November after months of planning, dreaming, execution and production. I am grateful to Kate Nelson, who published a piece in the Huffington Post about the collection two weeks back. Please view PRESS to click the image & read article.

2024 proved to be one bonkers of a year and much of the time, I honestly felt like I was doing my best each & everyday to chin up it with high highs, low lows. That is always the challenge as a professional creative, learning to ride the waves of this unknown path. Building fires for myself has become one of my favorite pastimes in New Mexico throughout all seasons and the symbology of embers within the ash is what inspired the collection. I’ve often wanted to powder my palms in the ash after I’ve thrown all I need to in the fire and contemplate what to build afterwards. Embers are spark that we can chose to reignite a fire with, or permit to fizzle for good in smokey gray & black soot.

I sourced 50lbs of churro wool fleece which I delicately washed to reflect the curl of smoke that rises once I’ve added more substance to the fire. The perfect little dainty tops where woven into the Ember Smoke Tie Dress alongside the Cinder Smoke Cowl Neck, a subtle lanolin present for texture rising upwards to the sky like a prayer. Black soot, dark ebony wood that’s been kissed by fire, tobacco brown for that wood that keeps the flame & heat going strong, ashen white reflects the cleanliness of everything having faded back to nothing. As it’s the cooler months, merino & alpaca comprise the base for all the garments with subtle weft decor throughout like striation in large pieces of cedar & pine I burnt this year.

I am so grateful to my incredible team that supported this visual journey in the cold rain and rising winter. It’s a good thing all the wearables are warm as that was indeed a chilly, long day running around the land with an arm full of jewelry & textiles. Here are some of the images I thoroughly loved producing.

Dialogue, a new textile...

Introducing my latest work with a blog feature as it is much to spectacular…

Comprised of a variety of mixed fibers, Dialogue is a reflective of the dialogue of the artist. I have found the mental chatter of the inner roomate exhausting upon times, upon others, inspiring me beyond all belief. My imagination is a sphere in which I dream in, practice mantra and everyday encouragement to keep going on this path. Within the artist mind, there are corners of doubt, despair, hopelessness, fear, revival of hope, bliss, unexpected surprises and perpetual awe.

In taking time to care for my mind, speak words of praise and celebration, I am able to continue flowing with all of the challenges of being a single woman in business, handling everything myself. Over the years, I have learnt how to ride with the emotions this world can stir and how to transmute what I am processing inside on the loom as to extract it out of me. Dialogue is that testament to my process; Knowing the art of speaking silence while I am unearthing the internal dialogue for a clearing. Comparable to clearing a field out of weeds for more ripe soil to take a hold of seed.

Woven on cotton, Dialogue holds wool, alpaca, metallic gold, metallic silver, chenille & boucle. The artwork was stretched on canvas and mounted. Images below, please email for purchase. Info@rhiannongriego.com

Ancient Jewelry Inspiration into Textiles

It’s the end of August and I am cleaning up a few larger textiles that have been waiting to be finished. I’ve been contemplating the real root of where gold fiber comes into play into my work. The way I often translate gold is into the Sun God sphere, a bright, royal element that reflects the eternal light of the sun for radiance, warmth, and illumination. Much like the sun’s light, there is an element of growth that takes place under with, and life with would not be in existence without it. Inca’s, Aztec’s, Egyptians, Chimu people had a strong presence of larger gold chest plates for the higher echelons of society, and I can’t begin to fathom what an incredible experience that must have been to be adorned in such works.

After completing a new work, I intentionally placed the textile design in the center where in ancient times, a gold chest place would have sat. Chimu gold has mesmerized me for years and when I did my larger beaded chest pieces years back, there was an undercurrent noting my ancient artifact reference. So, in designing new works for the Fall Winter Collection, I’ve chosen to share a few of the old works so when collectors take a moment to appreciate the detailing of the upcoming series, they will know a little more about the ancient works are ever present in my mind. Although this piece is much more focused on the blocks of layered red tones & hues, I wanted to reference it as the placement was designed to inspire textiles as adornment.

Willow House Residency

Wrapping up my days here at my second artist residency in Terlingua, Texas. Years back, I had the pleasure of visiting this landscape with my partner at the time, and I recall falling in love with the landscape then. The heat, not so much but there is something so beautiful about summer eve in the quietude of the evening, when the starlight is twinkling and dancing at you like sirens in water. The beginning of June, I began reconnecting with the night and my relationship, during the warm months, has continued.

After settling into the gorgeous casita, framed with concrete and reflecting the grey strata found out in the land with a minimalistic design, I set too on my project. With all of the monsoon weather New Mexico has been benefiting from, and more importantly, the magic I find within the season, I wanted to convey something simplistic as a calling down of the rain & lightning. So, in an unusual fashion, I minimally packed 2 cotton yarns in turquoise & black. I began to weave the imprint lightning strikes have had in my sight the last month solid, empowering myself in my meditative practice to embrace that which I can also fear. When a lightning strike happens nearby, everything whites out. I’ve been in two of these so far: One took place the first summer I relocated to New Mexico after carrying groceries inside and the thunder just about inhaled every atom of me into it’s tumultuous roar meanwhile an eerie grey dappled with yellow seeped out my side eye sight. The second was a complete white out on a patio, 360 degrees around, while meeting my two dear friends for the first time at Bishops Lodge. It was electrifying and equally, terrifying. Since then, I have found myself both entranced and often paranoid by it’s presence. It’s like life, artistic life.. There are moments I am still afraid of the unknown future with this career and upon others, I feel like Captain Dan yelling at the helm of the ship in the middle of a hurricane beckoning for it all to come get me. Forest Gump reference for anyone reading. So, I figured I’d focus on this simple two toned work in my classic lightning pattern to be transformed into a Stevie Cape.

The heat sweltered by day, the starlight christened my experience here by night all along encountering the warmest of creatives here in process with me. Everyone clung to their casitas by day and we all ran into one another in the evenings or whenever the pangs of hunger called us to the main house. Having the opportunity to share space, be in my own space, reflect, listen, share has been exactly what I hoped for. I often miss the creative conversations of individuals pursuing their dreams through their hands in Santa Fe, and I can’t quite tell you why there isn’t enough of that. Perhaps everyone who is an actual artist pursuing a professional career is hustling the way I am, perhaps there are too many hermits healing. Whatever the reason be, the chance to be spread out, dreaming, exploring, painting, drawing, writing, shooting, weaving, sculpting has been the perfect fill me up before I head home.

I had the chance to connect and play shoot with Meredith Williams & Mackenzie Jones, both young creatives from Austin. Finally, a pathway to connecting with more like minds and playful spirits in Texas has taken shape. I’ve been desiring to expand and share more of the work in Texas so here it is. In short, I felt the creating of this work, titled “ Turquoise Lightning Bearing Down Upon the Land” reflects an offering to the Celestial Beings up above, an honoring of all that befalls during the monsoon time as the land waits to be quenched. Lightning reflects electricity, the radiance we find within ourselves and from around us as we open ourselves up to receive; Lightning is also that opportunity to confront the fears we face in our impermanence of all things in life, building our courage as we walk to the inevitable land of death and beyond.

This residency has proven to be just what I wanted, and needed. My mind is refreshed with new perspectives, my nose is tinted with the scent of Creosote, I’m holding a few new ideas for exploring natural dyes a bit more but on paper, and I’m itching to learn more about the history of Texas.

Summer Mornings, Vanille Lattes.

Today feels like the song “ Some Velvet Morning “ by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood. I recommend you put that song on spotify if you’re reading this.

I’m attempting to write more of the blog so the audience, the collectors, the curious visitors to my website are welcomed into my mind. I’ve always been a writer, writing is how we communicated in my household when we weren’t able to find the right words to say growing up. I recall the moment my English teacher in highschool told me I should explore my gifts there after my grandfather passed and I wrote a piece about him. Typically, my written process is an expulsion of words & thoughts that ruminate far too long in my mind at times, upon others, caffeine fueled musings that barrel out in the mornings. I enjoy writing in my journal when I’m heartbroken as there is only so much we can say about the process in words to friends but I rarely write when I’m happy, so it’s a new trial for me here.

In my late teens, I used to chat on AOL, lipstick & cigarettes & make out club, a platform comparable facebook or myspace for those in the alternative music sphere. We used to write quirky profiles and list all the bands we liked, chatting about our favorite songs & era’s of music that moved us. It reminds me how important music is to my life, to my creative walk in this lifetime. Silence is teaching me new songs these days but it is music, the way it tantalizes my ears to open up minds eye visions that moves me the most beyond all visual arts. I also say that as a visual artist. I will forever be in awe of the way a Rothko can steal one’s breath the way Nils Frahm can steal my heart or the way The Rachels will remind me of the time I was 23 in the summer season of my life in Ashland, Oregon, balancing myself on the railroad tracks as the album played in my headphones and I popped Rainer cherries in my mouth fresh from the farmers market. I remember that moment because all I wanted to do was to plant fruit seeds everywhere I traveled in the world without fully understanding the relationship behind planting seeds, water, soil and season. I was whimsical to say the least with my desires to bring more beauty and watch trees sprout everywhere tho! There is such a metaphor for care of the planet in wanting to plant seeds everywhere and watch trees grow. Am I the only person that wants to hug redwoods that have been there for centuries and listen to the steadfast wisdom they speak of only when you grow close to their bark? The impact of humans on the landscape has meant the removal of forests and trees, of the shade & strength we seek in a blazing hot summer and we need to ground ourselves against something firm so we don’t melt. Am I the only person who drifts back into time before Westward Expansion brought about the demise of small communities in traditional housing and wishes I could have seen it? Before asphalt was a thing, before 5g towers killed birds and made the landscape metallic? This is why I often label myself as Gil from Midnight in Paris, a nostalgic time traveler who feels grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts world wide in hopes of finding like minding kin, and who equally curses the way species continue to go extinct because of our modern imprint. I digress…

Someone from my previous era of online chatting found me two days ago and I sent off a long email explaining my personal lore with New Mexico. Sometimes, I forget, how magical my unfolding into this state was. A long time of 13 years in the making before I moved here. Now, four years in, it’s began feeling magical again perhaps because I feel unattached. Attachment, I am learning as this stage of my life, is a thief of joy much like comparison. So, I am practising non attachment to happiness, to the constant flow state, to the steadiness because all of that is impermanent. But right now, in comparison to my last blog post the beginning of June, I am happy. Really happy. Life is flowing and my creativity abounds. I am proud of the work I’m creating, I am proud of who I am and I am proud of myself for always trying to let go, let be, live and keep my heart open to new surprises around the corner. In recounting the magical tale of my story to New Mexico to this person, I’m feeling the enchantment with it all again. Right up to the point I have been staying up till 2am weaving this new work the last two weeks every night, stepping outside around midnight to feel the temperature on my skin at that time, to inhale the quietude aside from the few street racers slamming on the gas and wasting a tank in a matter of seconds. I’m reconnecting with the night, something I often race to avoid in the dead of winter for coziness. It’s like a starlight blanket of summer that wraps you in with warmth, playfulness and a siren’s song that sings you to the water’s edge for a mid day bathe.

Whenever someone asks you what makes you happy, what would you say? In this moment of life, I would share the happiness I’m presently feeling is the connection to friends, connection to myself, my heart as it feels appreciated by those in my life. Without our mirrors, without friends, life really feels dull. I’ve always been surrounded by an eccentric & eclectic group of friends so in this moment of abundance, the happiness shines out of my eyes. My life is always an ebb and flow here in New Mexico, the state of consistency being one that I have struggled with strongly so now it is swinging high with beautiful company, I love to share it.

Here is the piece in agave fiber, horsehair, churro wool, jute & wool I have been engaged in, hand combing every thread, experiencing a tension the higher I rise towards the top of the weaving, which honestly makes me squirm like nails on a chalkboard. I never knew I’d feel a visceral reaction to tension this way on a loom but I don’t like it being so thick I have to actively use my left middle finger to hold it taught just to weave the weft in.

My house. When I wrote my manifestation list for my home in New Mexico, I was specific about the patio as lounging with my stereo beaconing loud music in summer heat is good living. There is after all, that old Spanish flavor of siesta time here and a hammock speaks loudly to that on the patio.

Life as of Late.

June 8, 2024.

I can smell a storm coming my way on the patio at present. The hammock has begun to ripple it’s tassels in the rising winds that speak of change above my head. Rotund crevices between clouds run a deep gray as they allude to a thunderstorm about to drumbeat atop of me, reminding me, change is inevitable. The sunshine of the afternoon swung into a monsoon. Change, is consistent.

I will never quite understand how we artists, the nutty enough ones who make the decision to embrace the full complexity of this path, in light, dark, ebb, flow, abundance & drought, mental wellness & illness, hold the gift of being able to transmute the pain we experience into something profound beautiful, but, we do. Across the board, the artists whose work has been most impressionable to me have lived lives of scarcity: Vices & addictions, emotional unrest, depression or darkness as I call it these days, schizophrenia, low self worth, survival of physical, sexual abuse and violence, take the torture that was impressed on them and transform it into art collectors pay thousands, if not millions for. I have been in a spell of dark depression as of late and it prompted my removal from social media for sometime to embrace it, as if it’s a tunnel I am forced to travel through, until I can transmute my inner struggle and shout back at the light at the other end: You didn’t destroy me and you won’t. Sometimes, that is what the battle is: It’s a surrender and allowance of the darkness to fully invade oneself and allow it to teach you something, like a dark spirit that pops up in the canyon’s where very few human’s wander. It always has something to teach you, to warn you about and perhaps, teach you to confront another layer of fear within yourself before it will permit you to pass. I know the last few weeks have left me feeling timid in moments, and upon others, the confidence of strong, powerful recognition that depression is another sliver in the spectrum of life that can only further encourage to embrace this short, precious life we are given.

I’ve spent the last week immersed in something new, something inspired by the Hopi Artist Dan Namingha’s paintings. Upon my early arrival into Santa Fe, I recall walking into his gallery and I found a painting that has been imbedded in my memories since then. It was predominately black with a Kachina face in the darkness, or at least that is what my mind recalls. Our minds have a way of fibbin’ things into reality or distorting the memory at times. The intentional usage of fluorescent strokes is what also contrasted in a way that caused me to remember it. So, as I chose to stay inside my bubble of darkness of this last week, I made a decision to try something new. With podcasts about hypnotherapy, and lectures about the ancient Minoans of Crete, I began to weave. 4 panels later, all I could think about it…

Is how any of this beauty come come through the utter darkness I’ve been feeling. It’s a silent astonishment and testament to why I have not given up on my art. It’s that additional thread that interlocked itself to my DNA when I was born so instead of a double helix, I hold 3 strands. Something uniquely so beautiful about my soul, intrinsic with a level of devotion to the path of beauty in this lifetime that no matter how ugly the emotions I feel inside can fan themselves out, I will always hold a voice that knows how to translate the inner light into something even better.

Dan Namingha

Dan Namingha

Interview with Urth Magazine

Life as Art with Rhiannon Griego

Click here to read the interview.

Woman with Pampa

An interview with the marvelous brand Pampa based out of Byron Bay, Australia. I absolutely love, love love everything about this company. Designed in Australia, woven in Argentina, this company aligns with my ethics across the board for producing high quality textile goods with the indigenous Mapuche weavers.

Click here.

Featured Interview with Bed Threads

What an amazing day this was shooting with Jenna Peffley & the team to showcase BedThreads beautiful linens in my sanctuary. Click below to read the interview! You can also shop their products here

Click to read interview

Warp & Weft Artist Interview

Here is my interview with the Warp & Weft Publication. I was delighted to partake in this incredible series focused on textile artists & weavers.

Please click the link to read the piece!

Read here.

Vogue Knitting SS2022

As the issue has been out for a month +, I feel it’s appropriate to share with all who wander here now. What a sweet opportunity this was to mode, and style knitwear designed by Vogue and their adjacent designers. Shot by my dear friend Ashley Hafstead here in New Mexico.

Rhiannon Griego designs textiles for 20 Ace Hotel Brooklyn Rooms

Publication promoting the opening of Ace Hotel Brooklyn.

This feature on TL Magazine includes a few of the textile artists who designed artworks for the rooms. If you happen to be in Brooklyn, NY, do stop by and inquire about peeking into the rooms. I designed 20 works.

Rhiannon Griego in Spring Issue American Craft Council Magazine

Celebrating this wonderful feature in the Spring Issue of American Craft Magazine 2022.

Included in the article are two images of my Rainbow Cape & the Tobacco Drape Cape in merino featured on my handsome boyfriend.

You may read about my work in the issue here.

Rhiannon Griego Woven Wearables on Made for Love HBO

I love it when clients send me snapshots of my work on tv shows as I don’t own a tv myself. Here are a few rough screenshots of the Adobe Kimono on a character in the latest HBO SHOW “ Made for Love “ 2021.

Free Thinkers Edition 2021 with Caravana →

Several years back when visiting Tulum, I walked into one of my favorite bouqiues I’ve yet to experience and it was the portal to the brand Caravana from Mexico. I have been following their exquisite work, all handwoven by artisans in Mexico in the Yucutan. It was with joy I participated in their Free Thinkers Interview Series. Please have a read below.

Shot by Matthew Gamelan.

Rhiannon Griego joins CARAVANA Freethinkers 2021 Edition as a creative medium whose hands have found inspiration in weaving and jewelry designing. A native to the connection felt between humans and nature, the natural world is what she’s tapped into through her exploration of fiber, art, and expression of the soul.

Rhiannon has utilized the Wabi-Sabi techniques of Saori weaving, and her own innate creative force to make sense of the universe through art and textiles. She weaves a world that echoes the times of indigenous artistry, spirituality, and worship of our planet; this is felt and seen through her creations and speaks to the soul of CARAVANA. For this, we welcome her as a beloved sister to the Freethinkers Program.

What elements of Saori weaving first inspired you to explore this textile art form? 

What coaxed me into Saori so easily is one of its principles: There are no mistakes and everything that happens on the loom is intended to be. It’s in alignment with the perspective I hold in my life and for the vision of my artwork. 

How do you incorporate the art of  Saori freeform weaving or elements of Japanese traditions into your personal spiritual practice? Or, what other spiritual cultures are you drawn to? 

Touching back in on the philosophies of Saori, they are quite relatable to the way I walk in the world. “There are no mistakes, everything is intended to be.” “Consider the difference between machine-made and hand-made.” There is a significant difference between objects that are mass-produced and objects of art that are made with the hand; there is a transference of energy, of spirit that is woven into each one of my textiles. Like everything in my life, I hold an intention, an arrow if you will towards that intention and move with grace towards it. The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi is rooted in my being and I abide by it as a spiritual principle. I find beauty in the perfectly imperfect this life offers and that in essence is what allows me to be fluid, flexible, and open to the magic of this life. My spiritual and art practice are one and the same; they are not separate from one another so the process of creating beauty in this lifetime is hand in hand with walking in a beautiful way on this Earth, aware, mindful, respectful, and acknowledging each and every thread that connects to the web from a different direction is sacred.

What has been a part of your journey of bringing awareness of Saori weaving, and the other mediums of your artistic expression, to our Western society, that you’d like to share? Challenges, or inspirations that have come to you. 

I work in different mediums every few years and the main focus of what is to encourage my audience is to remember how we used to do things, what our relationship to the natural world used to be in accordance with harmony and reciprocity. Through the process of handmade, handwoven, I am articulating the story of origin, myth, and respect for the Earth in the way that I understand it. If we could all slow down, breathe, respect time instead of feeling as if we are always running out of it, the more enhancement and pleasure we can experience. I want my clients and collectors to take an interest in the regenerative hemp movement, I want them to hold curiosity when they are outside and admire the natural sources of fiber in a new way.

“There are no mistakes, everything is intended to be.”

What we wear is an expression of our soul, of its vibrancy and I treat clothing like everyday art.

In a culture where fast fashion is so predominant, what are some of the most beautiful things to you about creating wearable art that has roots in culture and in spirituality? 

Saori arose from a broken thread in an obi (Japanese belt) and a new legacy of free-form weaving was born. Consumers have the opportunity to reconsider how they want to shop, which objects of art they would like to invest in, and reconsider the power in handmade artwork. Saori has gifted me the skill, moving meditation and philosophies to fundamentally create something out of nothing with an empowered direction. Weaving is one of the oldest art forms and I have the opportunity to reinvigorate the collective memory on what it is like to wear something handmade by someone’s hands, in countless hours, imbued with good energy.  The fashion industry has spawned decades of fantastical design and spectacles of fabulous visual art that I will always find meaningful and instrumental in the expression of the self through clothing; to that, I am grateful. Saori teaches me to slow, to weave with mindfulness, to find curiosity within the Japanese culture and its precision of design that carries much elegance. What we wear is an expression of our soul, of its vibrancy and I treat clothing like everyday art.

What was your most fulfilling or memorable collaboration with other creatives, and why? 

There have been many but the most recent one is with a photographer friend of mine who visited from New York. After spending some uncomfortable moments transitioning to my new home in New Mexico, a warm, familiar heart was quite welcomed. We spent days adventuring into the diverse landscapes to shoot a film together, to climb sand dunes with a pink sunset setting above us, and relish in good company in majestic lands. New Mexico has always been home for my soul and to have made the transition to be here permanently emanates sunshine from the heart of my being; to share this with kindred spirits is a good life. As an artist, I love the opportunity to be amongst creatives at all turns, allowing the fluidity and joy of connection to unfold into something that reflects the play.

Imagine you’re speaking to an individual who knows little about mindful, conscious art and fashion: how would you express to them why supporting creatives and honest brands like yours is a step in the right direction? 

Supporting creatives who are actively outpouring meaningful and mindful artwork is a positive step in caring for our Earth. It’s a small step but it’s comparable to the shift in nurturing the body with organic food in comparison to GMO. What we chose to put into our bodies, cloak them with, and visually stimulate our minds helps amplify a higher vibration for our world. As a small designer, artist and businesswoman, I recognize the power I have to inspire this shift in consumer habits. There is a difference in value between excessively consuming garments made by unhappy people in poor work conditions that are mass-produced and working with brands that are empowering communities with high living wages, natural dyes, and recycled materials. The cost may be higher but it elevates the spirit of the artisans, their own livelihoods, and through sustainable practices, the environment around them. We are in a time where everyone needs to do their part so finding voices that keep a larger ripple effect in mind is an empowering one.

Landscapes with Tony Farfalla of Madre Mezcal →

A visual artist interview with photographer and talented mezcal maker Tony Farfalla. We spent a winters day lost in White Sands, New Mexico filming this piece. The story behind this communion with Tony was quite special; He and I met 10 years ago and ventured to New Mexico together for our first time. A decade ago, I fell in love with this land and I could feel stories of past lifetimes pulling me here, murmuring a sense of home into my ears as my eyes were so overwhelmed by the magnificent beauty. Whenever I’ve imagined myself living here and welcoming in the kindred spirits that have been meaningful to my life, I have always envisioned myself welcoming Tony in my adobe walled home. As a dear friend, fellow creative and soulful human, the exchange of creative seeds has been continous for the last decade. Now that I am home, it was so heart warming to me, especially after not having any close friends upon landing here during a pandemic.

White Sands itself holds a very personal story to me. When I was 13, my grandfather passed and I was heart-broken as my grandfather held such a prominent place in my life. He was a story-teller, adventurer, lively and passionate spirit so rooted in family. I used to wander amongst his books in his library and it was my initial intro to the American Southwest; his library was full top to bottom with books on the settling of New Mexican Territory, it’s catalogues of histories of Indigenous peoples, it’s navy hardback books dusty with legacies of wars made by men all across the globe and I would time travel while my little fingers ran across the titles. Upon his passing, I found a brochure for White Sands tucked between the books and the my curiosity was piqued. For 25 years, I waited to greet this place my grandfather has visited and felt some impact from by scribbling words on the brochure in response to it’s breath-taking beauty. I had every intention of sitting down around sunset, smoking a tobacco and honoring my grandfather’s impression on me upon arriving. Alas, sometimes, the creative rush takes a hold and with a sunset beginning to settle over the cool sands of winter and a rose filled sky dappled with baby pink clouds, I couldn’t resist the urge to go with the flow in front of the camera. Here is what we captured in a place, in a time I will always cherish. I’m grateful to Madre Mezcal for this Woven Landscapes portrait.

You may find Madre Mezcal here and read about it’s fascinating collection of artist interviews.

Minimal peek into 2021.

Hopped a fence for a quiet place to be for a moment. The chill bit me solid and yet, I couldn’t help but forget the circulating sensations in my body as the sun began to set and the spectacle of colors debuted. I plan to shoot here sometime soon and this is the unadulterated beauty, free from human form, I call home.

Somewhere off the highway

Here is the fall lookbook I shot a few weeks back with fellow artist Aaron Westerberg. Shot in the images are: The Jolie Jumper, The Drape Cape in Camel Wool, The Cognac Poncho, Woven Cocoon Dress, Modern Scarf 1& The Gold Dust Stevie Cape.

Part of what I love the most about being an artist is drawing in and collaborating with other artists of like mind. After galavanting around Spain and Mexico this summer, I began to crave the wild yonder and glamping of California. There were fires around Ojai so it felt like a necessity to get out of the general vicinity. With a Jeep overflowing with paint supplies, yarn balls, camping cuisine and woven artwork, the team ventured out towards the Sierra’s. My word, shooting at sunset here was unreal. I could have easily woven all day staring at these mounds of deep red volcanic Earth with that light dancing the way it did. We had plans to shoot around dawn as well but the 50+ mph winds had something else in mind. A giant dust storm rolled through before dawn and literally blew us out of the tent. Stakes, bedding, even my own weight couldn’t keep half of the tent down so we packed it up in the haze and departed. I inhaled so much dust and dirt it left me very ill for about a week + but… “All for the sake of art “ is what I like to say and live for.

Woven Woman Wednesday with Sonya & Steph from Aula Artesana

Introducing the ladies of Aula Artesana, a company with the mission to establish more of a connection between consumers and artisans of Peru as well as creating workshops to teach natural dye techniques and weaving with travelers. The artisans they work with are both from the highlands and the jungles of Peru, indigenous and carrying traditions that have been passed down through multiple generations. As masters of their craft, they teach people of all different backgrounds to weave, work with natural dyes from the local plants and infuse a deeper knowledge of the Peruvian textile tradition through their handmade goods sold in the Aula Artesana store. Sonya and I had the pleasure of connecting by phone and I was delighted to come to learn more about this wonderful organization. All the way around me, Peruvian textiles have ensconced my life with their beauty, their story-telling and notable precision in design. I’ve being wanting to travel to Peru for years, not only to explore the legendary Machu-Picchu, but to sit and weave with the weavers there. Whenever I peruse images of Peru, it’s vast Andean range speaks to me as do the fluffy alpaca’s, the rainbow colored garments, the smiles I’ve noted in the eyes of the people there. Many in my community have traveled there so it’s been wonderful to learn more about an organization that is aligning itself with strong moral and intention to work with the community, to share their talented traditions and provide the curious with an opportunity to learn the backstrap loom. In a world with business ethnics of all sorts, I am much more inclined to not only purchase from a company that directly supports its artisans in fair trade practice, but one that also provides an opportunity to learn it right there, on site. As a weaving facilitator myself and artist, the ethos resonate deeply. I’m thrilled to share I will be joining in and participating for their December workshop so I’d say, if you feel the call, that’s a fantastic time to join me! Have a read below.

What are your names and your astrological signs?

Stephanie (Steph) Guthridge, Sagittarius

Sonya Radetsky, stubborn Capricorn :)

Please tell me what makes your organization special and was there any significant moment

between both of you, and individually, that inspired you to start the organization?

Steph: Aula has been a collaborative project from the very beginning by deciding that we would co-found the business. It is important to us that we work as a partnership and combine our different experience and skill sets to achieve our goals. Collaboration, then, is at the core of all of our artisan partnerships and also how we work with employees and clients. 

Our artisan partners. We partner with communities and individuals who are looking for opportunities to sell their artisan goods and teach people about the process, and Aula offers one avenue for our partners to do that.   

Aula is a values-based business, so when making decisions, we will always check in with those values to ensure that they align. The business element is key for sustainability. If everyone involved is benefitting and able to sustain themselves, Aula can continue to thrive and grow.

Sonya: I could talk your ear off about what makes Aula special, but there’s one that comes to mind above the others. One of my biggest challenges as a traveler and as a foreigner living in such a culturally rich country is how many layers and obstacles there are between visitors to a place and the place itself. Time, language, cultural divides, history - the list is endless. And on the other side, I think it’s really tough for locals to show who they are and share their culture and their art, for many of the same reason - language, time constraints, access. So as basic as it sounds, Aula’s role as the go-between is one of the things that makes it the most special because all of a sudden both sides of the interaction can actually have an experience that feels open and authentic and intimate.

Steph: No single, significant moment, rather a build up of small ones: when I was doing a lot of visioning for Aula in the beginning stages and getting so inspired that I forgot to eat, realizing that it was a way to bring together my experience, skills, and some ideas that I had been mulling around for a while in a way that benefits everyone involved: working alongside Indigenous communities, bringing people of different backgrounds together, providing creative learning spaces, alternative business models. The more we delved into it, the more I realized that I wanted to be a part of it. Even the first time Sonya mentioned working together to me, it was casually dropped into conversation… a conversation that we picked up again a few days later. The decision to work with Sonya was easy - I knew that we could do it together; share the celebratory moments as well as have those tricky conversations. We had great timing, too.

Sonya: Before starting Aula, I had been rolling ideas around and around in my head, losing sleep because I couldn’t quite land on the idea that felt right. But when the opportunity arose to take over our store space, all of a sudden it all clicked into place, I quit my job the next day. I’ve always loved handmade goods and the symbolism and importance they hold in so many cultures (you should see my house - embarrassing!). But as a consumer, you can only go so far when it comes to learning about what you’re buying. So why not take people to the source, where they can learn first-hand about the incredible artisan traditions here in Peru, and where the artisans can fully explore what it means to share their culture and teach what they know. In the end, Aula’s retreats are actually my dream trips, and I know I’m not the only one. When it came to working with Steph, that was as easy a decision as deciding to start the business itself. Our passions and values are in line, and our strengths complement one another. She’s one of the most honorable people I’ve ever known. And when we first talked about it, she whipped out a pen and a napkin and we started brainstorming right there. So if that’s not a great sign, I don’t know what is.

Where are you both from, your background and what inspired you to relocate to Peru to

start to work with indigenous communities?

Steph: I am from the UK - a town in Sussex, in the South-East of the country. An amalgamation of different things drew me towards working with Indigenous communities: learning more about the details and effects of colonization (something that is not taught or discussed widely in the UK) when studying at university, studying with people from all over the world and experiencing how much it enhanced my education - I thrived off of listening to different viewpoints, whilst also finding university to be too far removed from reality at times, as well as a whole load of idealism and eagerness to learn. I had become interested in social movements in Latin America through my studies and had always wanted to learn Spanish, so it all came together and I decided to move here. Since then, I’ve lived in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru and worked with several nonprofits and businesses in a range of areas - it hasn’t been the most linear of paths!

Sonya: I’m from the US and grew up in New Mexico, another haven for Indigenous art and handmade goods. Although I’m not an artist myself, growing up around those traditions and knowing how deep that knowledge runs, it’s always been part of my worldview. I went to college and grad school at NYU in New York City and lived there for several years after, where I worked in market research. But I had always wanted to live abroad, always saw myself that way, and I happened to have a dear friend from high school who had been living and working in Cusco for a few years. When she jokingly offered me a short-term position in her NGO working with a fair trade textiles program, I laughed it off at first and then quit my job the following week (seems to be a theme for me). That experience in the textile program was my first time working with Indigenous communities, and it was very clear that after my six months with the organization, I hadn’t even scratched the surface when it came to living and working here in Cusco. So six months turned into a year, turned into two years, and now here we are. After a couple of years working in sustainable tourism, I was really happy to have a way to combine that passion for travel with the artisan partnerships that I was missing.

What is one of the more valuable lessons you’ve learned from living outside of your home country? UK and US?

What is one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from working with indigenous

communities?

Steph: This was one of the hardest questions for me to answer; trying to remember some of the most valuable lessons that I’ve learnt over the last few years because once you learn them and adapt, they don’t stand out to you as much - another reminder that I should keep a journal! One that’s been important for everyday life is the difference in rules around time-keeping between here and the UK; British culture having a strict set of time-keeping rules, in contrast to Peruvian culture, where time is much more fluid. Whilst it’s something that I have grown to love, I still struggle with it when I want to have an overly efficient day. Then, from working with Indigenous communities: there’s so much to be learnt in the process. For example, in a community meeting where everyone has the right to speak for as long as they want, there’s a lot to learn, not just about the specific issue that is being discussed, but how that relates to other issues within the community and the person who is talking, giving you a more well-rounded understanding. Taking time over the process, therefore, is so important for building trust, getting to know each other, as well as discussing specific topics.

Sonya: For me, living outside of my home country is an ever-unfolding tightrope walk. On the one hand, it’s so important to set aside my biases about how things should be and open myself up to other ways of living and thinking. In a way, being a good guest in my host country. But on the other hand, I live here full time, and I can’t set aside who I am and what my values are because they sometimes clash with the place that I’m in. So it’s a constant back and forth, when to voice what I think, when am I justified in feeling offended or frustrated, and when do I need to set aside my ego. It’s a total grey area, and most times there’s not an obvious right answer. I can really only speak to working with Indigenous communities here in Peru. For me, the word “communities” says it all in terms of what I’ve learned. The US is a notoriously individualistic society, and I’m a notoriously individualistic person. But many of the communities we work with organize themselves based on what’s best for the group or the association or the community as a whole. Weavers work in cooperatives and associations, and when we meet with our partners, we’re often meeting with a group of 10 or 20 or more. And group consensus and agreement is so important to the well-being of the community. That’s something I’ve never experienced before, and there’s so much that I’ve been able to take from that model and apply to my own life and the business as a whole.

What is an observation you make as an American and Brit that could better help those traveling

learn to respect the local culture, traditions, and way of life?

Steph: As a Brit, I would advocate for educating yourself on the UK’s impact on the world both historically and today, colonization, as well as researching the country you are visiting. It will provide very useful context for when you are adapting to a new place.

Sonya: As travel becomes more accessible to more people, I’ve found that there’s a lot of openness from travelers to ask questions and be respectful in the places they’re visiting. But there’s always the risk of slipping into the “tourist mentality,” where you think of everyone and everything as being there for your experience. Going to the market, for example, you see the gorgeous fruits piled high and it’s incredibly photogenic. But those fruit stands are actually peoples livelihood - they sell that fruit to make a living. So before you take a photo of a person or something that belongs to someone, make sure to ask. Find out their name. Humanize the experience so that it can be satisfying for both sides. I’m the first to say that I’ve been guilty of this, but it’s something I’m always trying to be more aware of.

Is there a particular food you absolutely love that travelers must try when visiting Peru?

Anything specific to Cusco?

Steph: I am a vegetarian which limits how many dishes I can try as Peruvian cuisine is heavy on the meat. A couple that I love are locro de zapallo - a pumpkin-based stew usually served with rice, and quinoto - quinoa-based risotto. There are so many delicious vegetarian dishes you can make with the produce grown in Peru: 100s of varieties of potatoes, quinoa, grains, sweet potato or camote, corn, yuca, beans, large variety of vegetables and fruit… the list goes on. I would also recommend trying chicha morada - a sweet, non-alcoholic drink made from fermented purple corn - maiz morado.

Sonya: Ceviche ceviche ceviche! When it’s good, it’s reeeally good. While Lima and coastal cities generally have better access to fresh fish, there are a couple of places in Cusco where you can get seriously delicious ceviche. Besides ceviche, one of my favorite traditions that’s specific to Cusco and other parts of the Andean highlands is the Pachamanca, which translated from Quechua literally means “earth oven.” In a subterranean oven dug out of the ground, you heat up stones until they’re really, really hot and then place all your food inside. Cover it with herbs, cloth, and earth on top to keep in the heat, and in 20-ish minutes your food is fully cooked and so tasty. Obviously we had to work that into our Tintes; Textiles itinerary with our weaving partners - it really is not to be missed.

Within your organization, you both work closely with the weavers. What part of the

mythology of weaving has changed your life or how do you feel the process of

weaving/offering weaving workshops has changed your life/shifted your perception in the

tradition of textile making?

Steph: There’s so much meaning and purpose behind weaving and textiles that has evolved over time. As Sonya mentions, traditionally they have been a form of communication, but they are also made to be worn and sold at markets. Through workshops, textiles provide another way for communities to share elements of their culture and knowledge with people who are keen to learn.

Sonya: There’s so, so much to say about the tradition of weaving in Peru that I won’t really be able to do it justice here. But one of the things that I’ve always been fascinated by is how textiles here were traditionally used as communication devices. Quechua, the local Indigenous language, was never a written language. So the symbology of the textiles functioned as a “written” form of communication, representing the community and its history, or the weaver and her experience. It’s a totally different conception of non-verbal communication, one that’s also so beautiful and intricate.

In relation to Peru, what is the one aspect of the culture you’d like for people to understand

a bit more, and, or which area of Peru has taken your breath away from the most?

Steph: Generally, the Andes themselves - the mountains will always fill me with awe. Wakra Pukara, a rocky ruin site in the shape of horns in the Acomayo Province of the Cusco region, is a breath-taking site that stands in the middle of some very dramatic mountains.

Sonya: I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but the thing I would most like for visitors to have a really quality interaction with here in Peru are Peruvians themselves. It’s so easy to move through Peru as a tourist without having the chance to really talk to and get to know locals, because of all the reasons I mentioned before - time, language, culture divide. So if Aula can be helpful in facilitating that, for me that would be one of best things we can give to visitors and Peruvians alike, as it’s one of the biggest and most inaccessible parts of visiting Peru. As for an area of Peru that has taken my breath away, there are sooo many awe-inspiring places that it’s hard to choose! I agree with Steph, the Andes mountains are just mind-bogglingly huge and majestic. In Andean spirituality, the biggest mountains are the “Apus,” their sacred gods. And when you look at these peaks, it makes perfect sense that the people who live here would look to them for guidance.

As the world begins to shift with more of a focus on sustainable textiles, what is your hope

for the local communities producing many of these? Is there something specific you’d feel

comfortable directly sharing with global consumers to be more mindful of when

consuming/purchasing during travels?

Steph: Mainly, I hope that through this shift, local communities are able to achieve some of their specific goals and wishes. I also hope that the sustainable textile movement recognizes the need for communities to have agency over if and how they participate, and take steps to ensure that there is true consultation and collaboration. Global consumers: as there still isn’t much information readily available, if you do want to buy sustainably-made goods and are looking to support local initiatives and/or communities, you will most likely have to do your own research beforehand about where to buy them.

Sonya: There’s so much focus and conversation around handmaid and sustainable art on “our” side, the consumer side, which is awesome. I hope that conversation and those values continue to grow and spread, so that the artisans and communities who make those goods realize how valuable their work and art is. As more people become genuinely interested in looking for handmade, sustainably created goods that tell the story of the place and the person who made them, I hope more artisans feel proud to create their art and preserve their culture and heritage and knowledge.

How can we, the readers, be of support to your mission and organization?

Steph:

• Spread the word about Aula, our artisan partners and how we work

• Shop our store and/or join us on a workshop in Peru

• Reach out to us if you have any ideas to share, or for collaboration

Sonya: Come join us for a workshop! :) We do our very best to tell the stories and show the people behind the products, but truly the most rewarding part of our whole mission is when we get to bring people together for a true exchange of knowledge and culture. If you can’t come to Peru just yet, we would still love to have you as part of our community - drop us a note, leave us a comment, ask questions, tell us what you think. The more conversation, the better for us and our partners.

If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming workshops in Peru with Aula Artesana, please have a visit https://www.aulaartesana.com/. You may also find them on IG: aulaartesana