How Do You Make A Mexican Bark Painting?
The art of Mexican bark painting was practiced long before the Spanish arrived in Mexico. Mexican bark paintings depict colorful village scenes or wildlife, often birds, painted on bark paper known as amate. Amate is made from thin strips of bark taken from fig or mulberry trees. Mulberry bark creates paper that is an off-white color, and the bark of the fig tree creates a paper that is much darker in color. After the bark is washed and boiled, it is laid in a criss-cross pattern on a wooden board, and then beaten with a stone hammer until the fibers are fused together. The art of bark painting is still practiced by artisans in Mexico using hand-made amate paper, but the modern world has adopted this art form using more readily available materials. By following these steps, you can learn how to make a Mexican bark painting that resembles those that originate in Mexico. Gather your supplies: To make a Mexican bark painting, you will need the following supplies: • Brown paper, such as pa
