The second project I worked on with the women were regal looking pendants. Again, the project required a keen sense of wire manipulation, this time with thin wire which kinks easily. The women quickly figured out how jerky the wire can be and adjusted their work gracefully- much more gracefully than my own!
That’s one thing that never ceases to impress me about the women. Their ability to learn and adjust is much more finely tuned than my own. It generally takes me 2-3 go arounds to really get something down. For the women, they have it by the end of the first project.
As weavers, they have learned to think like artists and that artist’s mentality enables them to learn other skills quickly and with a confident patience. I have yet to give them a project that they haven’t mastered.
During the class, one of the women started calling me Amandita. In Spanish, when used with a name, the “ita” or “ito” is a term of endearment. Culturally, the women here are not as affectionate as those in Peru. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you, it’s just that kissing and hugging is not part of the their cultural behavior. So, Amandita is the equivalent of a kiss or a hug. After 5 years, it’s wonderful to have finally forged that bond.