kuna mola | Zeebra Designs & Destinations

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fr, Frizztext story challenge k, Global Warming, i can do this painting workshops, Kuna Indians, kuna mola, Lisa Brunetti art, san blas islands

Late Afternoon Break-

Lo siento, (I’m sorry!) I apologize in advance for veering a bit off course for this week’s story alphabet via Spanish words. How can I not include Panama’s unique Kuna Indians in this challenge?

Mola Textiles made by the Kuna Indians of Panama

When I lived in Costa Rica, I often visited my friend Barbara, who lives in the “Amador” area of Panama where the Panama Canal merges into the Pacific Ocean. The Kuna Indians’ unique ‘mola textiles’ colored the artisan markets in that area, and I always paused to admire the rich colors and finely-crafted works of art.

My interest at the time was on stained-glass windows, and I was preparing to capture the beauty of stained glass in watercolors. The first ‘Mola” concept was a collective project to nudge Barbara out of a painting block. I sketched the design, and she and her daughter Bobbe and I floated the colors with a relaxed ease. Continue reading →

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i can do this painting workshops, kuna mola, precolumbian art, precolumbian mola series, watercolor

This new painting style startles me at times! Inspired by the Mola textiles of Panama’s Kuna Indians, it was also influenced by my love of pre-Columbian artifacts. This series continues to evolve, and the subject matter sometimes takes control and dictates the painting’s direction.