WOMENS' WORK

Sometimes there is just nothing as pleasing as women working together, talking, sharing, laughing or crying, and I confess, we did some of each in this workshop. Olga's weaving studio, Indigo, served as a perfect space, we had the front half while her weavers worked in the back area on their looms. In the usual magical way, all the right people showed up to participate, and there was a perfect combination of experienced, intermediate and beginner energy.

Judy and Jane work at one end, talking and laughing and working it all out. 

Jane, Mary, Linda and Judy busily designing, deciding, cutting and gluing.

Our trusty help Emy at the ready, who needs their brushes cleaned?

Answering questions and giving advice, I love teaching this
workshop to people who say they aren't artists.

In creating our own huipil, we talk about using it as a container, where acceptance, forgiveness and transformation have a place to coexist. The following quote by Toko-Pa really speaks to this process:

 "We must give the story of our misfortunes a home. This always seeking to start anew, to cover our eyes and elude some pain, eventually only makes refugees of our wounds..... We

must be willing to say their name...house, gather them and feed them with our remembering until they acquiesce as the great allies that they are."