I fell in love with the mola fabric art of the Kuna Indians who live on the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama. Primitive or folk art seems to possess a magical energy. Maybe because it originates in the heart of the person who created it, or because it fulfills a sacred purpose. Whatever the reason, primitive or folk art speaks to my creative heart. The Kuna Indians use a technique of layering fabric, cutting through the top layers to expose the colors beneath, then stitching the opening. Layers of color. Stitches Fascinating! I adapted their fabric art style for my “mola paintings.”

I use acrylic paints. The vibrant colors dry quickly allowing the paint to be layered. To obtain saturated colors, sometimes three or more layers of paint must be applied, especially when lighter colors are painted over darker ones. When the painting is finished, it is varnished. This brings out the full brilliance of the colors.

Some paintings exhibit an energy reaction between colors. For example, look at Three Fish Mola. The interaction between the lime-green and the coral on the lily pads creates a vibration. Some people see a yellow line. It does not actually exist. What fun! This painting and some others have a three-dimensional effect that occurs when staring at them. This is also due to colors interacting. Salamanders in Sycamore Leaves is a perfect example. The red spots recede well below the outline layer.

After discovering this “wonderful accident,” when I design a palette, I purposefully plan for energy relationships between colors. It delights me every time one is successful. Some people use the paintings for meditation, much like a mandala. The color vibrations certainly impart a mystical “aliveness” to mola paintings.

- - -
click to see larger size