Susan Slesinger – Botanics – Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as prickly pear, sabra and nopal, is a member of the cactus family. Like all cactuses, it is native to the American continent. Opuntia grows throughout the Western United States, as well as in Mexico and the Caribbean. In Southern California it grows wild along the roadside in coastal areas.
Prickly pears typically grow with flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) which have two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed ones and small, hairlike prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Many types of prickly pears grow into dense, tangled structures. New cladodes grow out of existing ones, and pieces can also be planted to start a new growth. The young leaves are edible once the spines are removed, and are called nopal (paddle.) They are used in a variety of Mexican dishes. The fruit of many varieties is edible. The fruit varies in color from yellow-orange to a deep wine red.
The prickly pear plant is also the home of the cochineal, a scale insect, which feeds off nutrients in the paddles. The cochineal produces carminic acid, which is used to create carmine dye and red food coloring.
The design was based on a series of photographs that I took of Prickly Pear cactuses. Unfortunately, I was unable to safely access some of the best specimens to photographs. The batik was created under the watchful eyes of Jonathan and Beth Evans of the Shalawalla Gallery in La Veta Colorado. The process involved layering dyes from lightest color to darkest to create the image. As the cloth entered a series of dye baths, the areas which were the correct color were protected with layers of hot wax. Towards the end of the process the wax started to crack, allowing some dye to seep into areas, creating the crackled effect. Once the piece was finished, the wax was boiled away. The quilt top was layered and machine quilted. Handmade cotton yarn and beads were added to replicate the thicker, visible spines.
Materials: Bleached cotton fabric, Procion MX dyes, wool batting, cotton yarn, cotton, polyester and silk yarns, commercially printed fabric, glass beads.
Techniques: Whole cloth Batik with Procion dyes,fabric painting with Procion dyes, machine quilting, hand embroidery and beading.
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