art delivery : 02.14.25
I’m using today as a perfect excuse to feature one of my fabulous girlfriends… hooray for Galentine’s Day! This gorgeous grouping — currently part of the show “Witches of the West” — is the work of Oregon based artist Alexis Mixter. Fun Fact: All of the pieces with wood-burned braids are titled using names of actual woman who were killed for being “witches”. Oh, patriarchy. WTF. Aaaaaanyway, here’s a snippet from Alexis’ why and how:
“Originally trained as a figurative oil painter, everything changed when I discovered pyrography, ie., wood burning. I immediately loved the smell of the wood as it burned, and the texture of the lines as they formed. This ancient technique is typically considered “craft” or “handiwork” and, because wood is involved, pyrography is often also seen as stereotypically masculine. The imagery and the ideas behind my work, however, are based on the traditionally feminine endeavors — like hair braiding, weaving, witchcraft, etc. I am constantly digging into the narratives we’ve been fed on what it means to be feminine, and how those traits are inherently viewed as weaker, not as smart, or not having value. For example … presenting ourselves as well put together — having a perfect, very controlled french braid — automatically makes a more reliable and therefore valuable woman.” [more]
See? This is why I love her. You can find these (very affordable!?!) pieces through Chefas Projects, and Alexis is on Instagram at @alexismixter. ps. Photos never do her work justice, but @mariogalluccistudio did a wonderful job documenting them!
Textiles, embroidery, paintings and ceramics… a little something for everyone! Here’s your recap of featured artists from the past week:
mon : andrew pierce scott » @andrewpiercescott
tue : julie cockburn » @juliecockburnartist
wed : james mcqueen » @jamesmcqueenart
thu : marianne huotari » @mariannehuotari
Happy Friday ~ Danielle
I was exposed to pyrography as a kid, immediately burning myself and making nothing other than pain.
And no, that was not the pain of budding art. But wood burning stuck with me.
Now I have better tools, more patience and even get snobby about working in different woods.
The patience lurked in the shadows until vision facilitated things!
Beautiful work Alexis! I especially love the small pieces and the collection arranged on the wall as a gathering of wise, witchy women. I see myself as the viewer standing behind them, as both a witness and following in their footsteps.