News
Your Incredible Neighbors: Exquisite beadwork focus of local business
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| ELLEN SUSSMAN PHOTO Harry March works on his second beaded steer head, “Guardian Spirit of the Mountains” at Sailing Traders next to Ace Hardware in the Green Valley Mall. |
By Ellen Sussman, Special to the Green Valley News
Laying tiny, colored glass beads in place one at a time, Harry March creates intricate, detailed and beautiful designs on wood, metal — and even steer heads.
March and his wife Ellen own Sailing Traders, a gift shop dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Huichol Indian culture and other indigenous people around the world. The shop is next to Ace Hardware in the Green Valley Mall.
Since 1995, March has been working with six extended Huichol Indian families in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. There, in the colony of Zitakua, overlooking the city of Tepic, Huichol families perpetuate their precision beading art form that has its roots in pre-Columbian times.
While apprenticing for two and a half years with master beaders Greg and Chela Medina, March lived on a boat nearby as he learned their detailed techniques.
His original plan was to sail around the world buying from indigenous peoples, but after seeing the work of the Huichol people, he scrapped that plan and has focused primarily working with them.
“Seeing how they live is like going back in time 500 years… they’re self-sufficient, do their own farming, live in adobe homes with no furniture and cook on the floor,” March explained.
As Greg Medina taught March the fine art of designing with glass beads and the meaning of various spiritual symbols that are a part of each handcrafted piece, March taught Medina how to use the computer at an Internet caf/ in a local village.
Together, the Marches and Medinas have built an import/export business that brings income to Huichol families in the remote villages of Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains while bringing beaded masterpieces to the Southwest and museum gift shops nationwide.
March said the success of the business has allowed the Medinas to move to a larger home with electricity and modern conveniences. He e-mails Medina an order, tells him what underlying materials such as ironwood, metal, gourd or pottery are needed for the order and Medina transmits the order to Zitakua, where families of bead artisans have complete freedom of design.
March said everyone is paid regularly for their work and the craft involves men, women and children.
A recent masterpiece
Recently, March completed a large steer head covered with thousands of tiny glass beads, all imported from the Czech Republic. Using a magnifying glass, an X-Acto knife, an array of colorful beads and beeswax, March sets each bead in place, forming a design that’s only in his mind’s eye.
He doesn’t work from a grid, outline, pattern or drawing. He works only from his own vision, incorporating spiritual symbols commonly used by the Huichol Indians. The steer head March completed was called “The End of the Trail” and the center design depicted a lone figure on his weary horse. March said it’s one of the most recognized symbols of the American West. It took him 87 hours in a two-week period to complete.
“It’s a familiar Western design. I incorporated an eagle, mountains and prayer feathers among other designs and spiritual symbols,” he said.
Ellen March pointed out that in jewelry beads are strung through the hole, but when creating these intricate designs, the beads are placed flat, side down with the holes visible, or facing up. One might say the beads are the art medium replacing paint.
March explained the process. Working from a block of beeswax, he spreads some on a portion of the steer head. Beeswax doesn’t dry, it remains tacky, so he isn’t working against a time limit as he would with glue or paste.
If he decided not to work on the piece for two months or longer, when he returned to it, the beeswax would still be tacky.
The beading process requires tremendous patience—and a steady hand. March takes his X-Acto knife and, one bead at a time, places it onto the beeswaxed area of the steer head. He works with two sizes of beads; both are incredibly small.
Pleased with the results of his first beaded steer head, he’s now working on his second one “Guardian Spirits of the Mountains.”
“It illustrates the various spirit symbols that aid in communicating with the gods. The white buffalo is a sacred symbol, the eagles and bears also represent praying to, or communicating with, spirits. The prayer feathers and prayers arrows are used in North American Indian ceremonies as methods of praying….” Ellen March said.
Visitors to Sailing Traders can observe as March creates an unusual piece of bead art or view a DVD demonstrating the Huichol skill of yarn painting. For those who would like to try the beading technique beginner kits are available.
Participating in craft shows in Arizona, California and Mexico, including Tucson’s Gem Show, March said he was pleased to be invited to exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National PowWow in Washington, D.C. in August.
He’s exhibited at PowWows in Denver, Albuquerque and Stanford University, but considers it an honor to be invited to exhibit at the Smithsonian.
Sailing Traders is open Monday thru Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Web site is www.sailingtraders.com.
Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer for the Green Valley News.
March and his wife Ellen own Sailing Traders, a gift shop dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Huichol Indian culture and other indigenous people around the world. The shop is next to Ace Hardware in the Green Valley Mall.
Since 1995, March has been working with six extended Huichol Indian families in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. There, in the colony of Zitakua, overlooking the city of Tepic, Huichol families perpetuate their precision beading art form that has its roots in pre-Columbian times.
While apprenticing for two and a half years with master beaders Greg and Chela Medina, March lived on a boat nearby as he learned their detailed techniques.
His original plan was to sail around the world buying from indigenous peoples, but after seeing the work of the Huichol people, he scrapped that plan and has focused primarily working with them.
“Seeing how they live is like going back in time 500 years… they’re self-sufficient, do their own farming, live in adobe homes with no furniture and cook on the floor,” March explained.
As Greg Medina taught March the fine art of designing with glass beads and the meaning of various spiritual symbols that are a part of each handcrafted piece, March taught Medina how to use the computer at an Internet caf/ in a local village.
Together, the Marches and Medinas have built an import/export business that brings income to Huichol families in the remote villages of Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains while bringing beaded masterpieces to the Southwest and museum gift shops nationwide.
March said the success of the business has allowed the Medinas to move to a larger home with electricity and modern conveniences. He e-mails Medina an order, tells him what underlying materials such as ironwood, metal, gourd or pottery are needed for the order and Medina transmits the order to Zitakua, where families of bead artisans have complete freedom of design.
March said everyone is paid regularly for their work and the craft involves men, women and children.
A recent masterpiece
Recently, March completed a large steer head covered with thousands of tiny glass beads, all imported from the Czech Republic. Using a magnifying glass, an X-Acto knife, an array of colorful beads and beeswax, March sets each bead in place, forming a design that’s only in his mind’s eye.
He doesn’t work from a grid, outline, pattern or drawing. He works only from his own vision, incorporating spiritual symbols commonly used by the Huichol Indians. The steer head March completed was called “The End of the Trail” and the center design depicted a lone figure on his weary horse. March said it’s one of the most recognized symbols of the American West. It took him 87 hours in a two-week period to complete.
“It’s a familiar Western design. I incorporated an eagle, mountains and prayer feathers among other designs and spiritual symbols,” he said.
Ellen March pointed out that in jewelry beads are strung through the hole, but when creating these intricate designs, the beads are placed flat, side down with the holes visible, or facing up. One might say the beads are the art medium replacing paint.
March explained the process. Working from a block of beeswax, he spreads some on a portion of the steer head. Beeswax doesn’t dry, it remains tacky, so he isn’t working against a time limit as he would with glue or paste.
If he decided not to work on the piece for two months or longer, when he returned to it, the beeswax would still be tacky.
The beading process requires tremendous patience—and a steady hand. March takes his X-Acto knife and, one bead at a time, places it onto the beeswaxed area of the steer head. He works with two sizes of beads; both are incredibly small.
Pleased with the results of his first beaded steer head, he’s now working on his second one “Guardian Spirits of the Mountains.”
“It illustrates the various spirit symbols that aid in communicating with the gods. The white buffalo is a sacred symbol, the eagles and bears also represent praying to, or communicating with, spirits. The prayer feathers and prayers arrows are used in North American Indian ceremonies as methods of praying….” Ellen March said.
Visitors to Sailing Traders can observe as March creates an unusual piece of bead art or view a DVD demonstrating the Huichol skill of yarn painting. For those who would like to try the beading technique beginner kits are available.
Participating in craft shows in Arizona, California and Mexico, including Tucson’s Gem Show, March said he was pleased to be invited to exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National PowWow in Washington, D.C. in August.
He’s exhibited at PowWows in Denver, Albuquerque and Stanford University, but considers it an honor to be invited to exhibit at the Smithsonian.
Sailing Traders is open Monday thru Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Web site is www.sailingtraders.com.
Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer for the Green Valley News.
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