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Elida Cisneros - Rain Dragon
Category: Wall-hanging.
Bead embroidery. The backing is cotton broadcloth on a layer of pellon.
My dragon had to portray strength without fierceness. I studied pictures in magazines and television programs. I finally came up with this drawing and with the help of my son, Mark, who did the actual drawing, I proceeded to create a dragon that meant something very special to me. She is done in bead embroidery with Delica beads and a few Antiques. I spent countless hours on her creation and loved every minute. She is my Rain Dragon!
My beading career began when I learned to loom from my mother when I was 10 years old. However, in the following years I busied myself learning to crochet, knit, embroider, etc. from her. She was very creative and she passed this creativity on to me.
I didn't do more beadwork until I retired from public service many years later. My daughter came to me with the news that she was going to take beading lessons to make a pair of earrings she had seen and fallen in love with. Well, needless to say I let her take me back to beadwork. Only this time I really could not, and will not stop.
I took some classes in Albuqeurque and then, wanting to expand my horizons, I started going to The Shepherdess in San Diego. I met some of the greatest beaders and teachers and many have become great friends. We have traveled together and talked over ideas for nine years.
Jeanette Cook encouraged me to enter the Miyuki Challenge after hearing about my idea. Marcie Stone saw the work started and was very encouraging about it.
I have always loved dragons and decided to do a Rain Dragon which would give me the opportunity to incorporate my love of rain and lightening together. I decided that I would do an embroidered piece that depicted my dragon as a strong, determined, majestic dragon; just not scary.
I sketched my design on a piece of fabric and backed it with heavy pellon stretched over a large embroidery hoop. I then started my embroidery on the design itself, tacking down every 2 or 3 beads, depending on what worked best. The background with the raindrops and lightening was done last using the same technique.
Some of my awards and accomplishments are as follows: I won third place in the seed bead category in a contest held at Southwest America Bead Store in Albuquerque. One of my pieces, an amulet bag, was accepted (and sold) at the Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville, NC. I received the Merit Award at the 2000 New Mexico Arts and Craft Show, a juried show open to artists living in New Mexico. I have exhibited there for six years. I have taught at the Shepherdess in San Diego and at Bead Obsession in Albuquerque, as well as in my home.