Squirrels?

The traditional brushes that are used for Palekh painting are made from the hair of the Siberian squirrel.  Specifically, hair from the squirrel's tail.  Our teacher told us how she used to make her own brushes using shells from ammunition and feathers.  It was very unbelievable!  She was traveling in Belgium and all of her brushes were stolen.  So sad!!!  She had to buy new brushes.  We are starting to get the hang of using such small brushes.  We have to put very little pressure when painting, to get a nice thin line and to have better control.  I always have a hard time at the end of the day.  My hand starts to shake and I lose control of my line.  However, our instructor said that this will get better with practice.  I will have to start working on training my muscles!

Our instructor showed us some different examples of paintings based on the theme of "Firebird".  It was interesting to see what each artist did with the theme and how much detail they were able to fit into such a small space.  She also let us know that Palekh paintings should always be stored in a box with cotton to protect the lacquer.