• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

Inspiration Thursday: National Museum of Mexican Art

January 12, 2012 1 Comment

Last Saturday, my husband headed down to Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood to visit a textile outlet (which is closed Saturdays – oops!), eat some delicious Mexican food, and check out the National Museum of Mexican Art. PS: They have no admission fee!

So much of the work was so incredible that I just *had* to share some of the pieces. Some of these are made with teeny tiny beads on wax, feathers, reclaimed wood, and dyed reeds. Next time you’re in Chicago, you should really check out this remarkable museum.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen these pics as they were posted. 

The New Awakening by Santos Motoaopohua de la Torre de Santiago
made with about a zillion chiquira beads in campeche wax

By Luis Guillermo Olay Barrientos
made with dyed reed and varnish on wood

Santiago Apostolic Matamoros by Luis Olay
made with feathers

nude with calla lilies by Luis Olay
made with feathers

The Worm by Miguel Linares Mendoza
made with cartoneria (traditional Mexican type of paper mache – made with cardboard and a type of newsprint, rather than paper)

The Visionary II by Einar and Jamex de la Torre
made with glass

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Ruben Ortiz-Torres
A customized tractor lawn mower with hydraulic systems, gold-plated chain steering wheel, metal flake candy paint and low rider rims!

This is one of the coolest pieces of art I’ve seen in person.

From the National Museum of Mexican Art’s website:

Juan Ángel Chavez (b.1971, Chihuahua) creates large-scale interactive installations and temporary environments. Compiled of wood scraps and found debris, his multifaceted structures highlight the contemporary urban landscape, the natural world, and our human impulse for survival. NEPTUNO presents Chavez’s latest constructed environment, an unassuming passageway that metaphorically connects two unraveling worlds.

I ended up visiting the museum just in time, too! Neptuno’s exhibition ended on Sunday the 8th, and I’m really excited that I got to experience this amazing piece in person.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: chicago, juan angel chavez, luis olay, national museum of mexican art

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

Previous Post: « How-to: PVC Outdoor Chair with Laptop Desk
Next Post: How-to: Valentine Muppets Applique »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Hands Occupied Studio is Open!Hands Occupied Studio is Open!
  • Moving in to the Hands Occupied StudioMoving in to the Hands Occupied Studio
  • Warm Up with In-Person Events this Winter!Warm Up with In-Person Events this Winter!
  • Long John Cowl PatternLong John Cowl Pattern

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. Sonia Millan-Uribe

    April 12, 2013 at 5:56 pm

    Thanks soooo much for posting! The minute I saw that beaded wall…I knew it had to be from The Mexican Fine Art Museum here in Chicago! I love going there every chance I get. Good food @ Nuevo León, MFA & tamales. I’m sharing- GRACIAS!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

Find Me on Social Media

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
.
When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
.
HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
.
#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
.
What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
.
Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
.
#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
.
In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
.
P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
.
To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
.
Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
.
Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
.
#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
.
Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
.
#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy