Former Bishop Anstey student to host printmaking workshop at alma mater

BAVINA SOOKDEO

“Keep working at your passion” – this is Clara Applewhaite-Mitchell’s advice to young and upcoming textile artists in the Caribbean. A Trinidadian living in New Jersey, Applewhaite-Mitchell will host a two-week printmaking workshop specialising in the "paint-on" or drawing screen-printing method.

Sixty-seven-year-old Applewhaite-Mitchell is a textile designer, printmaker, silk artist and teacher with over 12 years of experience in the textile industry and over 16 years as a silk painter entrepreneur. The workshop, geared for fifth- and sixth-formers, art teachers and art enthusiasts who may be interested in pursuing the field of textile design, runs from July 14-25. It will be held at Bishop Anstey High School and hosted by Leona Fabien, art teacher.

Applewhaite-Mitchell remembers her childhood in Trinidad and Tobago with affection. She grew up in Carenage as her parents wished to be close to the sea.

“I relished living in a lush valley, with access to the sea and other childhood adventures, like hikes and collecting river fish and clay from the riverbed.”

Her journey began at the Tranquility Primary School where her mother taught the Cambridge class. The young student was later transferred to Bishop Anstey Junior School, which was housed at Chancery Lane, and then to Monte Cristo, in St Ann’s. After she wrote Common Entrance exam, she then attended the Bishop Anstey High School. In 1977, upon graduating from sixth form, she then became the acting physical education (PE) teacher the substantive when PE teacher Ria Mark went on maternity leave. Armed with a great passion for art, Applewhaite-Mitchell then went on to teach art and physical education at the Providence Girls’ Convent.

In 1979, she then entered the Valsayn Teachers’ College and graduated in 1981 with a diploma in education and was assigned to Belmont Junior Secondary (now Belmont Secondary) teaching art alongside Ken Morris Jr.

“In 1983, I received a Trinidad and Tobago Government Scholarship, to study textile design, at Howard University, Washington, DC,” Applewhaite-Mitchell said. She graduated with a major in printmaking and a minor in textiles, after the textile design programme was downgraded during the summer (but all of the courses were still offered). “The study of printmaking is a major aspect of textile design, so everything fell into place,” she said.

One aspect of her scholarship entailed one year of practical training. “I sought to fill this by getting the green light to do a one-year condensed course at The Fashion Institute of Technology, in Manhattan, which included the practical training.” She graduated from Howard University with a BFA in 1987 and went directly on to The Fashion Institute of Technology, where she graduated with an associates in applied sciences - surface design, in 1988 and did her practical training at womenswear company Fischer and Gentile Limited.

Thanks to her innate eye for design, while at Howard University Applewhaite-Mitchell received a Special Talent Scholarship from the College of Fine Arts, from 1984 to 1987. In 1986, she was awarded a summer scholarship to the prominent Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle,

Maine, received The Industrial Foundation Award, Washington Chapter, DC and was also awarded a summer scholarship to the prestigious Philadelphia Fabric Workshop, Philadelphia, PA.

In 1990, she met and married a fellow Trinidadian, and has been living in the US ever since.

Today, Applewhaite-Mitchell specialises in t
he gutta serti or silk painting technique with her work being described as original, one-of-kind, custom art, which may be worn or hung as decor. “I execute my designs on 100 per cent silk habotai, as this is the preferred substrate,” she said. Her themes are inspired by mainly flora and fauna, cultural designs from her multi-cultural background of African, East Indian and Chinese and the many and varied patterns in pottery and fabric, worldwide.

Asked about what sparked her interest in textile design, she explained, “I have had a close connection to many of our illustrious, local artists from a young age because of my mother’s love for the creative arts and her friendships growing up.” Applewhaite-Mitchell was usually in the company of textile designers, artists, choreographers and educators including Althea McNish, Althea Bastien, MP Alladin, Carlisle Chang, Boscoe Holder, and later on LeRoy Clarke.

“As a child, I had a great love for our cotton drapery prints done on sea-island cotton, from the 1950s/60s,” she explained. “My aim was to become a textile designer and design for our now defunct Arima Textile Factory. I am a textile designer, however, not designing for our TT textile industry.”

Her fascination with gutta serti or silk painting technique, started while at The Fashion Institute of Technology in 1988, when she was introduced to the technique. “At that time, the dyes and silk paints were quite toxic, so the course was not offered every semester, and had to be done in a well-ventilated room.”

Since the late 1980s, there have been many strides in the level of toxicity of these silk dyes and paints, so that nowadays, one may use them on a constant basis.” In the early 2000s, she began to work with the silk dyes and silk paints once more. By this time, she was freelancing more, as she had a family, and lived in New Jersey. In 2003, the designer decided to branch off on her own, establishing Clara Applewhaite Designs.

As for what inspired her to become a teacher, she said, “I come from a line of teachers, principals and school masters, so I know that teaching is in my blood. As a result, I have come to enjoy the process as I learn from my students, whether teachers, doctors or children. The exchange of ideas is always a surprise. I enjoy sharing my knowledge, and seeing what they give back.”

With several awards under her belt, the one that “tickled” Applewhaite-Mitchell the most was her first acceptance into a juried art show – the renowned Peter’s Valley School of Arts Fall Fair in 2002 where she was honoured with the Emerging Artist Award. “That was a stunner indeed,” she said.

So why host a workshop at Bishop Anstey High School? “Hosting a workshop at my alma mater is a given. My workshops have also been at St Francois Girls’ College in 2007 and 2010; St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph in 2007 and Bishop Anstey High School from 2011 until 2021. Her first exhibition of silk artwork, Sensuous Silks, Wear It or Hang It, was held in 2006 and facilitated by Sonja Dumas, with patron Hollick Rajkumar.

Since then she has hosted several others – Sensuous Silks II in 2007; Paradise Losing in 2009; Earth Skins in 2011; African Trade Beads in 2018 and Home Inspired/Memories of Home in 2022 and 2023. “What I tried to do over the years, was to have a workshop simultaneously with an exhibition, so that there would be a built-in field trip, where the workshop participants would see direct examples and ask further questions.”

Scheduled to begin at 9 am-3 pm daily. Participants will need to purchase their materials at Artisa Art Shop, One Woodbrook Place, (artisatt20@gmail.com).

“I have always wanted to ‘give back’ to my art community in education, so the idea of the workshops, was inspired by my late sister, Claudia Applewhaite, another Bishops alum.” She said her topics and techniques add a bit more variety to the art curriculum of TT, and is quite viable for students wishing to further their education in the field of textile design. “Understanding how to design patterns on fabrics, can steer one into the field of womenswear, home decorative design, package design, etc, as one learns how to put patterns ‘into repeat.’”

She said there is always a bonus for having follow-up workshops. Aside from helping the teachers expand their art curriculum to the more adept students, it gives other students a feeling of accomplishment, and the skill of a new art form. “This is my main reason for ‘giving back’; to continue the collaboration with as many art teachers like Leona Fabien, Adele Bynoe and many others, along with their students.

“Trying to keep the creative flame alive. We have a wealth of creatives in this country, who are doing other jobs, and not being encouraged or allowed to spread their creative wings.”

One of Applewhaite-Mitchell’s biggest dreams for the future of local art and design is for a local print factory to be opened for speciality hand-made prints, so the factory can be fed with the designs of local artists. “The resulting possibilities are endless, moving from the major holidays, straight into designing and printing fabrics for Christmas, Divali and Carnival, to name a few.”

To young, upcoming Caribbean textile artists, Applewhaite-Mitchell encouraged, “Practise, practise, practise! Do as much research on your field of interest as possible. There are many aspects of textile design that I have not mentioned; for example, lace-making, weaving, womenswear, menswear, home furnishings, furniture design, rug design, bedding, bathroom, and the list goes on. Keep your minds open and keep dreaming big dreams.”

For further information and to register for her workshop, e-mail: at clara@claradesigns.com.