The River is Home Paintstitch by Dana Falconberry

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The River is Home paintstitch is only available through this auction. Get your bids ready and let's have some fun raising money for the Big Bend River Rangers! Bidding opens January 13, 2025 at noon CST and ends Friday, January 25, 2025 at midnight CST.

There is a reserve bid amount in place for this auction. Bidding will continue until the reserve bid has been met. Auction item will not be awarded until the reserve bid is met.

The River is Home is a one-of-a-kind paintstitch piece from conservation artist Dana Falconberry. Dana created this piece exclusively for Big Bend Conservation Alliance to help raise funds to support the Big Bend River Rangers program. View detailed photographs of the piece here.

We asked Dana to share how she created this piece and what inspired her to do so.

What is a "Paintstitch"?

"I am calling these pieces “paintstitches” as they incorporate both acrylic paint and chainstitch embroidery. Typically, I begin with the paint and add chainstitching after nearly all the painting is completed. In these pieces I am interested in centering the experience of the present flora as they engage with the land, water, and sky around them. I wonder if the prickly pear sees this view of the Rio Grande at sunset the same way we do. Do you marvel at the receding mountains and winding river, longing to hear their stories as we do, little cactus?"

What inspired The River is Home?

"I spend an extended period of time in the Big Bend region every spring, and this past year I spent a lot of time particularly in the state park. This view of the Rio Grande from River Road took my breath away. When Shelley approached me about a design for the year-end campaign featuring the river, this place immediately came to mind. While driving along the river it is impossible not to notice the abundance of green life that surrounds the river in stark contrast with the exposed rock of the mountains in the distance. While designing this scene for the bandana, I also wanted to portray this through paint and embroidery; the magic river reflecting the sky and drawing life to close to it, like fans crowding the stage at a concert."

 The River is Home Acrylic and Chainstitch Embroidery on Stretched Canvas 16”x20”

Learn more about Big Bend River Rangers or make a non-auction donation here.