Little Owl
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Acrylic in canvas 12 x 12 inches Inspiration for this has come from looking at Molas. Mola means shirt or clothing. The mola originated with the tradition of Kuna women painting their bodies with geometrical designs, using available natural colours. in later years these same designs were woven in cotton, and later still, sewn using cloth bought from the European settlers of Panamá. Molas have their origin in the body painting. Only after the colonization by the Spanish and contact with missionaries the Kuna started to transfer their traditional geometric designs on fabric, first by painting directly on the fabric and later by using the technique of reverse application. It is not known for certain when this technique was first used. It is assumed that the oldest molas are between 150 and 170 years old. I was drawn by their bold use of bright colours and stylied shapes. I have started to design my own ‘molas’ using my favourite creatures. Also my brother asked me recently to paint a picture(s) suitable for his conservatory. The theme was supposed to be South American … but it has turned out Central American. Anyway, I found tem most enjoyable to create.
More by Anni Morris
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