Pablo did a great job working with each artisan in the workshop to make one blue-crowned mot mot. We bought the ones completed by the experienced artisans by noon on the third day. Two other artisans did well making their first woven bird. The other artisan had a great warm smile, but her weak elder eyes made it impossible for her to weave the small details needed to reach our export quality.
When we resumed the workshop on Wednesday afternoon, we shifted our mode to try a modified assembly line to make woven puffins – a popular seabird from the North Atlantic. Each artisan took on a task to make seven copies of a bird part. The two most experienced artisans made identical size and shape bodies and heads. Pablo made cardboard templates of the wings, tail, and beak so three artisans could cut and shape these parts. The oldest artisan cut the wires to make the legs and feet.
Once these parts were ready, the heads were attached to the bodies and given to individual artisans to complete their bird by adding details on the feet, eyes, and beak. This process produced seven birds with the same size and shape much faster than having individual artisans go through each step on their own. While the quality of the final touches still depended a lot on the skill of the artisan, it allowed for beginning artisans to participate in making these ornaments at a higher level than normal.
Pablo and the others were excited about introducing this process to their groups and recognized it would require good coordination and cooperation to succeed.
At the end of the workshop we gave each group an order to make 3 to 20 woven mot mots and puffins according to their number and skill. Our goal of course is to develop as many artisans as possible who can fulfill orders in a timely manner with top-level quality.
While this workshop ended up being a hybrid basic workshop, we decided to invite six artisans from the Ampiyacu to attend the next artisan facilitator training in the Maranon next week. Step by step for the puffins, and step by step for artisan training.
Andrea spent months working with this designer and four artisans to make dozens of colorful balsa wood birds and giant chambira butterflies. The birds included an egret, tiger heron, toucan, macaws and a kingfisher. When we stopped at the mall after visiting the aquarium, I loved seeing these creatures twirl around in a mild breeze.
I was most happy to hear the Chino artisans wanted to resume attending our bird ornament workshops. Half of them have made some birds based on what they learned five years ago, but they were eager to improve the quality of these woven animals they could sell to their visitors and have secure sales to us.
I selected a few baskets laid out on benches and placed an order for elegant two-color models. Lindy reported good progress making lady bug ornaments and planned to attend our artisan facilitator training. We were happy the group looked forward to hosting a bird-making workshop in July with artisans from 3 Tahuayo communities.
