Bridget Daly discovered Huichol yarn painting and the rest is history. Her work challenges the viewer to reconsider what is true. Look closely at the detail in her work. She uses surreal impossibilities to allow viewers the opportunity to practice doubt and wonder.
How and when did the traditional Huichol yarn-painting technique surface in your art?
About 20 years ago I took an art class with Tobias Jean, a well-known Huichol yarn painting master. Yarn painting is a traditional art form of the Huichol people of Mexico. A natural glue, made from tree resin and beeswax is melted and painted on a backing board. Brightly colored yarn is pressed into the waxed board and left to harden.
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In my first yarn painting session I was captivated: The tactile quality of the soft and vibrant yarns, the meditative process of twisting the strands, and the satisfying results continue to draw me to this media above all others.
I have a Masters degree in sculpture, but had mostly painted in the years since graduation. As part of my research for teaching I explored a variety of materials and processes. Now, though I work primarily in yarn, I also develop ideas using acrylic ink, India ink, and collage. The process of yarn painting is slow and the mixed media pieces let me generate ideas with more spontaneity.
Where do you find inspiration for your art?
My Grandmother was a great storyteller. I delighted in her fairy-tale narratives that were suffused with religious superstition. By designing scenes of confusing realities I hope my images, like my Grandmothers stories, will challenge the viewer to reconsider what is true. I use surreal impossibilities to allow viewers the opportunity to practice doubt and wonder.
Tell us more about your artist journey. How did you get into teaching intergenerational art classes?
In the 80’s my husband and I moved away from our Midwest families to the West Coast. When we had children we realized that the absence of grandparents and other elderly people in their lives would leave a sad hole. To try to mitigate that, I enrolled them in a daycare that was sited in a senior living facility. Shortly afterwards I began to develop an art program there to bring the pre-schoolers and seniors together for creative learning.
I launched Art at the Mount at Providence Mount Saint Vincent in 1997, to provide quality and consistent art instruction in an intergenerational setting.The goal of the sessions was twofold: to increase knowledge, ability, and confidence in the creative process and, more importantly, to advance awareness and understanding between the generations. In our age-segregated society intergenerational learning can forge links that honor each others experiences. I emphasized commonalities to promote caring individuals.
While guided by the abilities and interests of the students, lessons included drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and design. Each spring I would curate and frame about 50 pieces of art for an exhibit to celebrate and share the students’ achievements with the larger community.
The pandemic protocols effectively shut down the program and I decided to retire. Teaching the intergenerational classes (and also teaching other senior art classes at various long term care facilities) was both challenging and exceedingly rewarding.
When it comes to creating, are you more of a planner or an improviser?
As an artist I am both a planner and an improvisor. I typically start a yarn painting by choosing a drawing from one of my sketchbooks. After I have developed it, I size it to a waxed board and transfer the the image, tracing it onto the soft wax. I plan out my palette as well. But once I start with yarn I follow my gut. Making changes with yarn is more complicated than paint. I like to have a good idea of where I’m headed.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I begin each yarn painting with a border. The process centers me and keeps the yarn nicely tucked inside. But starting on the image after the border is in place fills me with self-doubt that lasts until I am about half-way through the piece! It’s a struggle, I won’t lie. Ultimately I am a “finisher”: I love the point where I can finalize the details and see the end.
Do you have a dedicated space for creating? If so, what does it look like?
The space I use to create is a very small room in my house. It’s usually a messy spot. In the past I have rented large studio spaces, but I find that using a space in my house means I can pop in anytime and work for short periods: while the soup is cooking, in my PJ’s before bed, or in those 10 minutes before I leave for an appointment. Since retirement I spend most afternoons creating. That’s when the light is the best!
What was the biggest challenge that you encountered on your creative journey? What did you learn from it?
I did not believe my high school art teacher when she warned me that making a living through art was impossible. She was almost right: only a small percentage of artists support themselves entirely with art sales. Those that succeed financially in the art market are typically artists of privilege and connections. For years I struggled to show and sell my art, only to end up feeling inadequate. It was a relief to quit chasing that fantasy. Through the years I have been inspired by an abundance of terrific artists who flourish outside of conventional channels. I continue to submit pieces to an occasional show, and I am delighted to share this work with Create Whimsey followers, but these days I am fulfilled just continuing to challenge myself regardless of audience size because, for me, the act of making art is what matters.
I am transitioning out of teaching, but you can see some of my former student’s work, as well as more of my own art, at my web-site:
www.artbridgeseattle.com
https://etsy.com/shop/dalydozen
Instagram: artbridgeseattle
Interview posted June 2023
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