Maria’s Tree

Linda Anderson

35H x 43.5W inches

2018

ARTIST STATEMENT

In Oaxaca, Mexico, traditional huipils are decorated with stylized, red, geometric trees — one arboreal design for each of the four stages of a girl’s development to young adulthood. Maria’s tree is an energetic, branching sapling: an apt metaphor for her blossoming physical and emotional growth.

MATERIALS

Cotton, bamboo batting, polyester thread, textile paint

TECHNIQUES

Hand-painting, raw-edge appliqué, free motion machine stitching

Maria’s Tree is based on a photograph by Eric Mindling, with permission granted, in his book, Oaxaca Stories in Cloth