Huichol Beadwork

The Huichol tribe of Mexico survive by making and selling the most intriguing art work - using yarn and beeswax to create colourful paintings. I have known about this for along time. What I discovered more recently was an extension of that style of art where carved wooden shapes are covered with a layer of a beeswax/resin mix and glass beads are then pushed into the wax in colourful, intricate patterns. I decided to try and combine this form of Huichol art with my own wood turning and have been researching and experimenting with the process ever since. Having come up with a beeswax mix that satisfies me, I turned a little hollow form from field maple to give it a try. The results were satisfying to say the least. Setting this little ring of beads (about 1000) took a mere 2.1/2 hours...