Expressionist Embroidery

Helenn Rumpel's colorful works of needle art explode off the canvas. This creative artist varies her thread weight and stitches to create pieces that reflect her southwest lifestyle. Spanish Colonial, American Indian and Mexican influences are evident in each colorful wall hanging. Rumpel incorporates southwestern elements into her embroidered pieces to give them added dimension, such as beads into a picture or framing a piece within another item. One piece, called San Pasqual in Bayeta, is framed inside the bowl of a bayeta, a long wooden Indian mixing spoon. Says Rumpel, "I love taking color and texture and translating them into messages of cultural communication." The Sew Much More cameras visit Helenn to see her expressive pieces, and to learn about the techniques she employs in creating them.