Color Blending in Tapestry Weaving with Ixchel
Discover the art of tapestry weaving with Ixchel in her serene Ontario studio. Learn to blend colours, textures, and composition to create nature-inspired tapestries, combining traditional and experimental techniques. Outside the studio, explore nature walks and trails, take a day trip to majestic Niagara Falls, and visit the Textile Museum of Canada.
- Snacks, Coffee, & Tea
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $1955
- Additional guest(s) (max 4)
- USD $1200
Accommodation
- One Guest
- USD $125
- Additional guest(s)
- USD $90
Meet the Artist
Ixchel is a distinguished Mexican-Canadian fiber artist, educator, and curator whose work bridges traditional tapestry techniques with contemporary textile expression. With nearly forty years of experience across fashion design, batik, natural dyeing, and textile engineering, she’s recognized for her innovative use of materials and her exploration of nature, time, and transformation.
Born in Mexico and shaped by early travels through Poland, Spain, and now Canada, Ixchel brings a global sensibility to a practice deeply rooted in the natural world. Taught to knit and crochet by her father, a symphony conductor, she eventually devoted her life to fiber art as a medium for storytelling and cultural connection. Her journey has led to international exhibitions and biennales, where she continues expanding her practice through research and creative exchange.
Ixchel’s process centers on natural dye and nature-inspired weaving. She creates sculptural, multi-sensory tapestries and installations that reflect organic forms and cycles of growth and decay. Working with both natural and synthetic fibers—wool, silk, cotton, metallic threads, and recycled materials—she constructs layered two- and three-dimensional pieces that often incorporate sound, movement, and video to deepen her themes of impermanence and transformation.
From her 63-acre studio in Ontario—equipped with looms, tools, and a vast textile library—Ixchel welcomes others to slow down, reconnect with nature’s rhythms, and embrace learning as a space for creativity, dialogue, and self-expression.
Born in Mexico and shaped by early travels through Poland, Spain, and now Canada, Ixchel brings a global sensibility to a practice deeply rooted in the natural world. Taught to knit and crochet by her father, a symphony conductor, she eventually devoted her life to fiber art as a medium for storytelling and cultural connection. Her journey has led to international exhibitions and biennales, where she continues expanding her practice through research and creative exchange.
Ixchel’s process centers on natural dye and nature-inspired weaving. She creates sculptural, multi-sensory tapestries and installations that reflect organic forms and cycles of growth and decay. Working with both natural and synthetic fibers—wool, silk, cotton, metallic threads, and recycled materials—she constructs layered two- and three-dimensional pieces that often incorporate sound, movement, and video to deepen her themes of impermanence and transformation.
From her 63-acre studio in Ontario—equipped with looms, tools, and a vast textile library—Ixchel welcomes others to slow down, reconnect with nature’s rhythms, and embrace learning as a space for creativity, dialogue, and self-expression.
VAWAA Includes:
- Deepen understanding of color transitions, texture, and composition in tapestry using diverse fibers.
- Develop fluency with various fiber compositions, learning how to select and combine natural and synthetic fibers for depth, contrast, and harmony.
- Learn to create intricate patterns and smooth color gradations on the loom.
- Explore blending techniques like hatching, hachure, and interlocking for seamless transitions and dynamic effects.
- Master tension control and structural integrity in tapestry weaving.
- Master tension control and structural integrity in tapestry weaving.
- Combine traditional weaving techniques with experimental and contemporary approaches.
- Option to visit the Textile studio at the Art Gallery of Burlington, Textile Museum of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum, or the Art Gallery of Ontario.
- Enjoy inspirational trails and nature walks (weather permitting).
Stay at Ixchel's
Stay in a private room on the college campus where Ixchel’s studio is located—just 15 minutes from downtown Burlington, near Lake Ontario, and surrounded by scenic gardens. Individual guests can book a single room with a bunk bed and private attached bathroom. For small groups, a double room with two double bunk beds is available for an additional 10% fee. The accommodations are wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators, and include access to an on-site dining room.
Explore Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario is a vibrant city on the shores of Lake Ontario, just an hour from both Toronto and Niagara Falls. Known for its scenic trails, waterfront parks, and Royal Botanical Gardens, it also boasts a growing arts scene anchored by the Art Gallery of Burlington, Canada’s leading center for contemporary ceramics. Festivals like the Sound of Music add seasonal energy, while nearby Oakville hosts the World of Threads Festival, one of the world’s largest textile arts events. With its creative pulse and lakeside charm, Burlington is an ideal base for regional exploration.
Additional Details
The best times to visit Burlington are from late May to early October, when the weather is warm and the city’s natural and cultural attractions are in full swing. It’s best to avoid mid-winter (late January-March), when the weather can be bitterly cold, grey, and slushy, and lake-effect snow can make travel unpredictable.
This session can be extended for up to 8 days. Please add a note in your booking request.
Adults 18 years and older, elders, and people with accessibility issues or special needs are welcome to attend. Ixchel’s studio is wheelchair accessible with elevators.
Ixchel speaks Spanish, English, Polish, and conversational French and Italian.
This session can be extended for up to 8 days. Please add a note in your booking request.
Adults 18 years and older, elders, and people with accessibility issues or special needs are welcome to attend. Ixchel’s studio is wheelchair accessible with elevators.
Ixchel speaks Spanish, English, Polish, and conversational French and Italian.