Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Only in Mexico

2008-07-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

As I wander around the streets here
Every day is an adventure of sorts
Today, I was on a local bus
Heading home from the farm
Where I have just purchased
The week's vegetables.

I arrange myself on the seat,
With my three large bags of food
A local man wearing jeans
White shirt, vest and a cowboy hat
Carrying an ornately made,
Well worn twelve string guitar
Entered the bus, stood at the front
And began singing.

Rustling around in my bag
I find my camera
And take a little video of the event:

The locals stare straight ahead
Don't look at him when he asks for money afterward
But I am happy to pay because I am always amazed
At the lack of self consciousness that eople have here
When it comes to playing music in public.
Plus it was really nice.

You don't need to have a gig,
You just go out on the bus
Or walk the streets and ask people if they would like a song
Then sing like there's no tomorrow,
Or no rest of today for that matter.
You don't even have to be good, you just do it
For that, I am appreciative every day I live here
And see things like this.

Besides all the auditory pleasures here
(And Mexico is cacophonous at times)
There are visual delights and wonders as well
Such as this delightful house, which I discovered
Several weeks ago while walking to town.

The colors are just fantastic,
A rich blue wall
Bright yellow door, trimmed in red
Red iron work around the meter box

A Virgin of Guadalupe tile mural
Is punctuated with muliticolored glass beads
Making a frame around her
Then colored plastic papel picado,
Cut paper party decorations
Strung across the front of the house.

Notice that the door is not to the ground
But dropped right into the wall

The walkway in front of the house...
Was artfully redone this week

A simple round doorstep
Made with a collection of talavera tiles
And a winding trail of tiles on either side
Going up and down the sidewalk
With little trees, made out of flowering tiles
Beneath the oval arches above them.

Further down the street
Inside a tin work studio
A rusted iguana
is hanging out in the window

And another outrageously painted wall
In bright turquoise blue
With rosa Mexicana pink in the brick inlay
Flowering trees and shrubs hanging off it
And hand written sign on the door

Everyone is out on the streets here

While waiting for the bus
On a very busy street
On the median strip
Sits a man with no legs
On a four wheel cart
Covered in a yellow and white shade cloth
Selling almonds for 10 pesos a bag
Cars are whizzing by
He is unfazed
Here's a little 3 second video
For the full effect

You see everyone out on the streets here
Mothers with young babies wrapped in rebozos, held close
The old, the infirm, the disabled, children selling 'chicle'
Mariachis, singers, and young people arm in arm
No one is hiding away
Everyone has something to offer
It is gritty and real and affirming at the same time

Atotonilco - New World Heritage Site

2008-07-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we thought it was the weekend for the Feria de Atotonilco, and decided to go. Our neighbors Marta, Aron and their son Ariel went with us. Upon arrival, we discovered that the fair was not this weekend, but next - however, it was the weekly market day, and the arrival of a large group of pilgrims who are here to pray, do pennance and repent for the week.

Photo above: Aron (in black) Marta and Ariel

We entered town from the El Cotijo side, near the entrance to La Gruta hot springs along the back side of the town. There were many cars parked along the stone fence going into town. We walked along into town. Booths began appearing, covered in colorful plastic 'lona' tarps - the Sunday market day.

Atotonilco is known for it's beautiful frescoes in the church, and this last week, along with San Miguel de Allende, Atotonilco was awarded the honor of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a great honor which will give international heritage status as well as much needed funding for restoration. Use this link to go to our tales from the road blog to see photos of the town, church and frescos.

The ceiling, walls and doors of this church are adorned with beautiful old paintings depicting religious and Hispanic scenes. The church also attracts about two million pilgrims a year, who we were told come weekly by bus, foot or car to be locked indoors for a week to pray, flagellate themselves (really) and do penance for their sins here on earth.

Atotonilco is locally famous for it's statue of Senor de las Columnas, depicted below as Christ leaning over an urn, with disciplinas (for flagellating) wrapped around his waist and neck, bloody and tired with three gold rays, his halo.

The statue of 'el senor' makes the annual pilgrimage of about 10 km to San Miguel de Allende, overnight, every Easter for the Semana Santa Processions, arriving two weeks before the event and enters the town on a mile long flower filled street. To see photos of this, follow this link

Outside in the market, you'll find religious paraphernalia - disciplinas, large, small and in key chains, hand made by local artisans, and worn by all the pilgrims -

Along with Cd's that have images under resin of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, San Judas Tadeo to name a few - plus rosaries, gilded plastic frames with images of santos, religious cards --

Crowns of thorns made of wood and thorny spines from the bisnaga cactus - and hand made veils made of net and flowers which the women pilgrims, young and old wear during the week of prayer. Everything you need for the passion play.

And you can also buy an array of items for daily use -

dishes, plastic goods, food, plants or a beautiful sequined purse like John is showing here.

The food booths are selling botanas - Enchiladas, tortillas half dipped in chili salsa, fried rolled and filled with chicken and fresh cheese - gorditas, big fat tortillas rolled into a ball, cheese and chili inside, patted into a disc that is fried, then cut open and filled with meat, potatoes and corn - tacos with meat or nopales and cheese and carmelized onions. Down the way you can buy a nieve - iced milk or fruit in a variety of flavors, mango, chocolate or vanilla, zapote, limon, fresa or sandia.

Musicians wander in groups, find an area to stand or sit and play typical Mexican music with guitars and accordians.

Most of the crowd are pilgrims from ranchos and villages all over Mexico who still wear traditional clothing -

Women in colorful satin dresses, some wearing capes with crosses sewn on them and many wearing a mixture of traditional and modern clothing and hats - all of them wearing disciplinas, ready for their week of prayer and pennance.
I have to say, that coming into town, was like going back in time to another world of people, still steeped in traditional values, clothing and reverence for god. We were unaware upon arrival, that Atotonilco, while being famous for it's beautiful church, is also a pilgrimage site for two million pilgrims per year, many of whom come from villages that still maintain traditional ways of living, and who you see here.

At 5PM the pilgrims will go to the back of the church where the doors will be shut to the outside world for a week. They will be fed and basic needs taken care of while they reflect.

The windows and doors of the church are all open today, shedding light throughout. Groups take turns kneeling at the altar to cross themselves and pray. Women are crying as they pray. Tourists wander about with cameras taking pictures of the frescoes, statues and architecture. The wood floors are mosaic designs, and the wood entrance to the doorway worn down from years of footsteps passing through.

There are retablos of the stations of the cross and other religious stories painted into the doors and walls of the church and vestibules contain Santos to pray to. We were told that because of the new UNESCO World Heritage status that the market booths which surround the church in the center of town, and which have probably been a tradition for as long as the church has been standing, will no longer be allowed in front of the site after this year. The fair, which is a local event, will most likely be flooded with tourists. The status comes as a mixed blessing, bringing restoration, money and tourism to the town, but will surely change it's nature in the coming years.

Photo below: Ariel & me

Walking the Camino de Santiago, Spain 2008

2008-03-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Not exactly one of our usual stories about Mexican Folk Art,
but another type of quest and a really long walk!

The Camino de Santiago

Follows the ancient pilgrimage route starting in the Pyrennes in France,
and ending at the other end of Spain in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
It passes through many of the oldest villages and cities in Europe
and gorgeous countryside. We've included a few photos from our last walk
in September 2003 in this tales from the road.

If you would like to view our blog, please email us for the link.

The blog also has the emails we sent home on our last visit,
which will give you an idea of the complexity and wonder of a long walk like this.
Below are photos from our first trip and there are many more on our blog site.

© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Semana Santa - Sevilla Spain

2008-03-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share this Spanish site which has beautiful videos of the Semana Santa Processions this year in Spain.

Click Here to View Videos

There is a collection of videos to view on this site,
and of which are reminders of where all Mexican Catholic
religious ceremonies began, and how faithful to the old traditions
the Mexican ceremonies and passionplays have remained.

You can also browse around the site which has many photographs and stories.

For those of you who do not speak Spanish, you can translate
the working by copying and paste into translate.google.com for a bad but passable translation!

© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

San Miguel Viejo

2008-01-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

This week we rented bicycles, after being told by a friend that there are trails out of San Miguel into the countryside, around the lake, to the hot springs and around the campo.

Click on the last photo to view all the photos of our ride into the countryside and the original chapel of San Miguel de Allende

For those of you who have never been to San Miguel de Allende, it is a hilly (often steep) town with rock cobblestones on most streets. Neither of us had ridden a bicycle in a few years and the rental company was at the top of town so our first 10 minutes of riding was on bumpy rocks (more commonly and thought of as 'charming' cobblestones). Straight downhill.

We were weaving back and forth, like little children new to bicycles, and had to wind our way down Canal street, past the bus station on the way out of town, down to the train station and off into the countryside.

Once outside of town we were on more bumpy roads going past very small enclaves of houses, and eventually into San Miguel Viejo where San Miguel was founded by Fray Juan de San Miguel in 1542, a part of the Antiguo Camino Real, the silver route from Zacatecas.

Once inside San Miguel Viejo, we had to keep asking directions to the original church (chapel) of San Miguel, and discovered this little gem of a church near the lake. Although the doors were locked, we were able to photograph the nativity behind the altar
through the keyhole, as you will see lin the photos in the slideshow.

Click on the photo below to go to the full slideshow

© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Neighborhood Posadas 2007

2007-10-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago the posadas began in our neighborhood - the first one being at Marta & Aron’s, our next door neighbor’s house. Posadas are 9 nights of pilgrimages of Mary & Josph praying for room at the inn. There are prayers, songs and pleas.

The litter carrying statues of Mary, Jospeh and an angel are brought in to the house,
and left there until the next night where the rosary is held again and the statues move on to the next home.

Petra & Anai Singing back and forth to the crowd of people outside who are asking to come in

After you are finally let in to a home, there is Ponche, a very sweet fruit drink that has tecojote, guayaba, tangerines, oranges, sugar cane, canela spices and more fruit, then little bags of goodies for the children and mothers, and finally the piñatas.

The second night, last night, started at Marta & Aron’s where the statues were left the night before to be picked up for the next rosary and posada.

Today’s rosary for the posada was at Marta & Aron’s house next door – we all recited prayers - (about 100 Hail Mary’s and our Fathers – ( the ‘misterios’ as our neighbor Petra calls them) Reciting the rosary in Marta & Aron’s house.

young girls with candles …

Tonight, it felt more regular and not so mysterious. Kids, in anticipation of the piñatas, started showing up without their parents about a half hour before the adults.

The crowd of people grows each night, as the children find out where the posadas are. Young mothers, middle age women, grandmothers, children and babies make up the group. The men were noticeably absent. Everyone arrives singing.

This time, I had printed the main prayers in Spanish out so I could pray also. What a joke! It took 5 Hail Mary’s to realize that Beto (Petra’s grandson, and one of the few ‘older males’) would read the first half of the prayer, then the people would recite the second half of the prayer. They speak so fast I was half done when they were on the the next round.

For the second set of Hail Marys I was ready, but it didn’t sound right and I was reading the wrong thing. It turns out that for one set, Beto reads the first half then we read the second half. The second round, we read the first half, and he reads the second half of the prayer. After about 30 of these I had it down and only had to practice speaking it in triple time or leaving out words.

There were about 45 people this time and just like any unorganized local event, people were knowing what was to happen but not quite knowing what to do - who carries the statues, who follows first and the 8-12 year old boys were lighting all the candles and sparklers before they were supposed to and pushing each other around while their mothers swatted at them because it wasn’t time for that yet for that.

(photo below from 2006 posada)

Beto was giving orders to whoever would listen and an elderly woman and her granddaughter finally made it on to the street with the saints. They couldn’t decide which way to go on the street – so they turned around in circles with the whole crowd following them back and forth in circles until someone started laughing, and they decided to go all the way around instead of up and across.

Lety and her twins Miguel & Angel led the singing and Petra finally grabbed little Duncan’s hand because he was running all over the place, and Anel, his mother, is so pregnant and tired by this time that she couldn’t keep up with him - people were spilling hot ponche on themselves and people next to them.

The little boys finally were given the go ahead to light everyone’s candles & were begging people for their sparklers so they could hang behind and play with the fire. We finally made it to the house up on the upper right corner of Calle Paraiso and everyone sang to be let in - they sang over and over until the owners of the house finally opened the door to us singing the glory be and thanks song.

This time there was more hot ponche and bags of goodies, but no piñata. The crowd was bigger than the first night. I am told it will be 100 people (maybe more) by the time it is at our house this coming Sunday!

On the way back I asked Marta if it was normal to have no piñata and she said that it totally depends on the house. If there isn’t a lot of money they will give the goodie bags first, then ponche to drink, then piñatas. No one seemed disappointed.

Each night one or two of the grandmothers introduced themselves to me, curious about the gringa in the crowd and Marta or Petra would explain that I am their neighbor and live here. I plan to go again tonight, to experience the fullness of the whole experience and to meet more of my neighbors, young and old

As they hit the piñata, there are songs that everyone sings which tease the hitter and put a limit to the time each child gets with the stick.

The songs, in English & Spanish are below
A free for all as the piñata falls & Beto (tall young man) helps the younger kids get goodies

The piñata songs:
Spanish
Dale, dale, dale.
No pierdas el tino.
Porque si lo pierdes.
Pierdes el camino.
Ya le diste una.
Ya le diste dos.
Ya le diste tres.
Y tu tiempo se acabó.

English:
Hit it, hit it, hit it.
Don’t loose your aim.
Because if you loose it.
You loose the way.
You hit it once.
You hit it twice.
You hit it three times.
And your time is up.
© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

The Festival of San Miguel de Allende

2007-10-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Click on the links to view photos
of the Festival of San Miguel & Voladores of Papantla, Vera Cruz

Voladores of PapantlaPublish Post

Festival of San Miguel, September, 2007

© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Mexico City Markets & Masks

2007-09-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Whether you like angels, devils, saints, the grotesque, you will find it in
the upcoming slideshow of Mexican Markets & a fantastic mask shop.
Slideshow to come later this week.

© All rights reserved, September 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Let Them Eat Cake! Bakery in Mexico City

2007-09-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Bigger, taller, stranger than fiction. Check back
this week for a slide show of one of Mexico City's largest bakeries.
Click on the photo below to go to a slideshow of this bakery
!
© All rights reserved, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Gil, Cartas & Doc Severinsen

2007-09-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

Doc Severinsen of the Johnny Carson show, has teamed up with Gil Gutierrez & Pedro Cartas, musicians extraordinaire from Oaxaca & Cuba, in San Miguel de Allende.
This is music you MUST hear! -- more coming later on where to purchase and hear their fabulous music.

Gil and Cartas Website

Alfredo Vilchis - Retablo Artist

2007-09-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Rincon de los Milagros
Alfredo Vilchis in his studio, Mexico City, 2007

Rincon de los milagros -- corner of miracles, the street & neighborhood that Alfredo lives, where he paints retablos depicting the history of Mexico, people's dreams, wishes, troubles, pain, miracles and stories of great heart.

We entered Alfredo's home through the living room and kitchen downstairs and were brought right in to meet the whole family. We walked up the tiny winding staircase, covered in retablos and ex-votos to the second floor to his bedroom
and studio.

Upon reacing the top of the stairway, we entered a rich blue room, his bedroom, where he sat us down next to him on the bed and told us the stories of his family, his faith, the saints who keep his work alive. Alfredo is a lively man, full of himself, and proud of the work he has been doing for the last 23 years, bringing history and people's stories to painted form while keeping the tradition of retablo and ex-Voto making alive.

The bedroom opens into his studio, rich in iconography, walls to
ceiling covered with masks, milagros, parts of doll's bodies, pictures, little statues and books - all for inspiration and meaning.

Brushes, old boxes with paint peeling, drawers full of supplies, drawings everywhere you turn, his image painted, looking out at you, the signature of this mustached man, a saint, an angel, a devil.

It is a dream studio full of light, white curtains blowing, simple, yet full of that which occupies his mind.

I asked Alfredo how he worked and he brought out a pencil drawing
of a retablo he had painted to show the basic layout - simple and not very detailed. From this he paints the final piece in oil on sheet metal called lamina.

Alfredo, his son Hugo and myself

Around every corner, behind every shelf are the images that hold his life and his work.

The shelf on the left is a wooden niche full of old rolled up tubes of paint, mixed with milagros and & saints in front of the niche to protect
and bless that which has brought him his livelihood and his fame.

Altars, shrines, mementos

Hugo, Alfredo's eldest son, laying out retablos that they call 'inventos' and are sold in the market, based on stories that they have read about in newspapers and magazines.

Alfredo, self portrait, angle with flowers, below, Alfredo
with death on a bicycle.

Love of Mexico, it's foils and follies and luchadors. This is
one of a series of retablos, commemorating the lucha phenomenom, his family painted in to the bleachers.

Alfredo explaining a shadow box niche that was hung in his show in
France.

While in France at a show of his work, he became enamored with
the work of Velazquez, and has painted a series of the royal family
each one with him as the artist painting

Alfredo in jeans & green shirt & as a saint surrounded by his
paintbrushes, the working altar

Retablo of a bus full of people, the Virgin watching over and
Mexico city & the Volcanos to the south in the distance.

Through his love of bull fights, he has begun a series of retablos depicting bullfighting - the inspiration for another possible book of his work.

Hugo Vilchis - with two of his retablos

Luis Vilchis with recent retablos of gay lovers

Daniele, so serious throughout our visit

The artist desk

Shadow box of milagros and small linear retablo

Wall of milagros in tin, clay, doll parts, wood

Alfredo describing a simple retablo drawn by his grandson Miguel -- the story of the death of his little brother at one month

Artist's view

Alfredo with Manuel holding drawings of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Manuel's drawing is based on the drawing of Alfredo

Alfredo's Virgin on the left, Manuel's, right

Manuel, Alfredo & his grandaughter

Daniel, Alfredo, Hugo & Luis Vilchis

The blue bedroom. On the left is a retablo of all of Alfredo's saints, a
small shelf with miniature figures, paintings & retablos & a cross filled with
drawings and milagros, a photo of his mother beneath it.

Views of retablos on the narrow stairway, filled with retablos that Alfredohas painted over the years, retablos & Ex-votos that are
in his two books.

Rincon de los milagros

© All rights reserved, September 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

The Independencia - Mexico's Independence Day

2007-08-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's late August, and the flags and patriotic memorabilia are out on the streets of Mexico. Here are some pictures of the various flag stands in San Miguel and Dolores Hidalgo. The Mexican Independencia is a major event all over Mexico with music, fireworks, the Grito being sung out on balconies all over the country at 10 P.M. There isn't a dry eye in the crowd. There are two more weeks before the Independencia & more Pictures to come, as the weeks progress.

Vendor with her flag

Flags flying, downtown San Miguel

Downtown Dolores Hidalgo - Mannequins & flags on the street.

Flags, hats, caps, whistles & horns on every corner.

Jicama and flag Vendor

Mexican Flag in tinsel on the municipal building,
Dolores Hidalgo

Even outside the main downtown in Dolores, more flags

The bandstand is decorated, ready to go

El dia de los abuelos -- August 28th, grandparents day, celebrated
in style in the Zocolo, Dolores Hidalgo, with a full band and dancing
in the street.

It's early, but the dancing has started, 2 pm to 'Besame Mucho'

The band members

An elderly abuela, sitting , eating her lunch under the portales.

© All rights reserved, September 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

The Locos Parade San Miguel de Allende

2007-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

The week long festival of San Antonio de Padua culminates with the 'Locos' parade of over 10,000 participants in costume. This first float of San Antonio, brings on the throng of costumed revelers.

The altar is filled with flowers, decorations and flowers.

Wizard princesses....

and the grand wizards start the festivities

Every neighborhood in San Miguel has its own group of locos or crazies, who attend local and neighborhood festivals, and for this one, they convene together to celebrate their loco-ness

From celebrities...

To death, devils and Fidel Castro

Beautiful women and Mexican luchadors

Payasos, payasos...

Carnaval and cartoon characters

Elaborate costumes

and old dancers..

Kewpie like dolls

Cowgirls and cowboys

Fantastical creatures

Hours and hours are spent creating masks, costumes, floats, and perfecting routines.

The range of masks is from paper mache, to cloth, to rubber and plastic.

Pirates with warts on their noses

The Mojigangas, without which a parade would not be complete. Standing about 12 to 15 feet tall, they weave in and out of the crowd, lowering their heads into your face.

The traditional man and woman

Woman of the night...

Groups of luchadors - Rey Misterio, La Parka, Santo and others

Clowns and pirates and big haired women

Baby diablo on his father's shoulders - his initiation into the big parade.

And, buzz lightyear -

Characters and more characters

Death and skeletons

Hooded figures

More clowns and theatre faces

Monsters and gremlins

The creativity in the hand made masks and costumes is as good as it gets, but unlike the Macy's parade, this is completely local and hecho a mano!

Saddam with donkey ears, devils, clowns and Santo luchador. No one is left out of the melee.

Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker and Goofy too.

Teletubbies

Luchadors fighting in the back of a pickup truck with the foxy babe.

Clowns throwing candy

Huevos in pigtails and hats following the conquistador

Mysterio, handing out candy with reaper behind him

Hands out for candy as the pirates go by

The campesino

Masks worn on the back of heads

What a set of lips!

Some of the best clowns you have ever seen

A young girl between death and George Bush

Vaca loco, death, muertos, skeletons

Gypsies

Shreck wearing Winnie the Pooh

More Death coming....

Mother earth brings up the end

While the early paraders rest on the sidewalk

And the crowds disperse to the south

to the west

North

and East

And the workers from the local shops stand in the bouganvilla lined entries, hoping for a last glimpse

© All rights reserved, June 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Corpus Christi San Miguel de Allende

2007-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

The procession for Corpus Christi, June, 2007

© All rights reserved, June 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Festival of Santa Cruz

2007-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Festival of Santa Cruz in the Valle del Maiz, San Miguel de Allende - a week long celebration of Santa Cruz, a religious and Indian/pagan ritual and ceremony time.

An altar placed at the entrance of Valle del Maiz, where celebration begins at 4 am with the Alborrada -- non-stop fireworks from 4 until 8am, starting off the ceremonies, parades, religious services, dances and games.

Callejon Valle del Maiz - replica of ancient painting at the entrance to the town. The street is heavily decorated with plastic cut design flags, banners made from colorful drinking straws and decorations made from palm, paper flowers and greenery.

Honorary 'caminoneta' with shrine to santa cruz, decorated in shiny fabric, netting, flowers and paraded through the town.

Archway entry to the church/town with arrangemets made from the inner stalk of a certain type of palm. At the church there are large xuchiles, made from the same material & decorated with flowers.

As you enter the plaza area it is filled with people, dancers, music and these large mojigangas - greater than life size puppets that are worn over the body in the daily parades.

'La Nueva Era' a covered truck that holds the 'castillo' firework towers that will be fired off in the evening.

close up of the workings of a castillo -- firecracker like fireworks that are woven together over towers of palm/rattan that stand about 50 feet tall and give off about an hour of spinning fire showers.

More Mojigangas plus three smaller pancho puppets. The large figure's eyes can be manipulated to open and close.

Skeleton woman and woman of the night

la Bruja

The banda, getting ready to bring on the cross dresser dancing!

Waiting for the next dance -- eating gorditas & carnitas.

There isn't a lot of food here, but there is cotton candy

Young chichemeca dancer

Young woman, Chichemeca dancer, between dances in her painted robes.

Another decorated truck -- back from the parade

Just when you want to think this is a serious religious, historical, traditional fiesta, this afternoon dance - all men dressed as women - and I have to say that there were some pretty good women imitators in this group, you could hardly tell who was a woman and who was a man.

The conga line

As soon as the dancing was done, they brought out the greased pigs in plastic bags. This boy was enamored with this baby piglet, and opened the bag so we could have a peek.

and the winner is??? one of our best cross dressers!

Dancer's hats against a rock wall

It's easier to hand food down than to go around

Chichemeca traditonal dances - thundering rhythmic drums, and all the dancers are in a trance.

From the youngest boy, about 5 years old...

To the serious young men..

Tired, resting dancers..

and women..

Most striking was the painting on this man's face..

Parade of youthful boys in Spanish dress

Zuchiles at the entrance to the church.. and cotton candy

Getting ready for the evening comparsas, where actors put on morality plays before the fireworks. Note the stage set, with santa cruz altar in front and a large painting with a paper mache dove sticking out of the front of it.

The exit arch -- popote (drinking straw decorations) criss crossing the street, the cross and palm arch

One final discarded parade mask behind an iron grate.

© All rights reserved, June 2007 , Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Apaseo - Wood Carving Town

2007-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Wood carvers of Apaseo June 2007

Apaseo is a small working town, mostly agricultural, but hosts a group of wood workers that carve mostly saints, angels, Jesus figures, along with carnival horses, nativities, and various other works of art. Much of the work is life size, and pieces finished in a surprisingly quick time - a day or two.

Most of the work is sold just outside of town along the highway corridor in shops like these, someone's home up above with the lower floors dedicated in some cases to carving, but most cases, a rustic showroom.

As we walked into the house, under the covered porch, was this fatastic table base of three large horse heads, complete with gasoline cans, tools, a bench in the general disorder of things.

San Judas Tadeo, patron saint of lost causes

The family altar, mixed in with carvings, empty coke bottles, saints, a carved nativity and Virgin of Guadalupe carved out of a half log.

On the back showroom wall were carvings of small statues, carnival horses, and Don Quixote.

Along the front porchwall is an antique carving of Santiago Matamoros

Juan Araiza, carver and shop keeper

Our friend Aron and myself in an angled room heaped with saints, angels and small animal carvings.

Jesus, saints, angels, and the trademark San Pascual, patron saint of cooking, carved in a goofy way with a large bulbous nose

San Miguel

This was one of my favorite rooms, almost an altar lain flat on the floor with many Jesus figures waiting for the cross, San Miguel, the Virgin of Gudalupe, animals and an ornately carved table which is typical of the furniture made here.

Don Quixote reading a book

The first workshop we visited, where the whole family, even the young women were carving saints.

She has been carving since she was 13 years old, now a viable worker in the family business.

The tools are placed and pounded with the palm of the hand

The younger generation...

Entering the family workshop - Saint Francis lying on a block of wood, great shadows and light.

San Francisco, tools, coffee and cookies.

Unfinished work

The elder generation, carving in the entrance to the home

Herrimientos - tools of the trade

Another workshop. Except for the mother who was cooking, the entire family was carving in the outdoor kitchen, sitting on the floor or on short stumps.

Virgin Mary's, carnival horses and a thousand chips of wood

San Judas Tadeo in the foreground

The grandfather, resting next to a life size Virgin of guadalupe, with the outdoor grill & washbucket against the back wall.

Across the street, a carver of musicians.

San Charbel, first saint of Lebanon, and a basic carving, unfinished of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Tool storage, photos of saints

Saint carved into a burl

Aron, goofing

The last workshop, where the carvings are larger than life size. This carving is of the Virgin Mary on the moon with a snake.

© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Semana Santa 2007

2007-03-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

The procession of Senor de las Columnas
from Atotonilco, to San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende, Sunday, March 25th

The all night procession of the statues of Senor de las columnas & the Virgen de Dolores (mary of sorrows) leaves Atotonilco and travels by foot, all night long to to San Miguel de Allende, where it ends up on Avenida Independencia, where the statues are unveiled.

At 4 am, the statues arrive in San Miguel to an array of fireworks, rockets, music and people. Avenida Independencia has been carpeted with greenery, flowers and paper decorations.

The fireworks are persistent from 4 am on and no one can sleep, so the streets begin to fill with people who await the walkers from Atotonilco.

At 7 am the procession begins, with Judas, Roman soldiers, Angels, priests and the statues follow.

Senior de las columnas - Jesus, bloody from flagellation, leaning on an urn and mounted on a frame that is laden with flowers, carried by local parishoners.

Followed by the Virgen de Dolores, Mary of sorrows. She is wrapped in a deep purple velvel cloak, and carried on a pallet of flowers, with a group of women to hold her long cloak, following behind her.

Other statues and saints follow

As Mary passes, the people fall in behind, and the procession becomes less a parade than a participatory event with everyone walking, singing, praying together.

For about a half mile, the procession route is lined with floral arches and is decorated to the sky with balloons, flowers and garlands, cut paper decorations, both hand made and purchased

As the route heads into town to the San Juan de Dios church, the symbolic crown of thorns is represented by the welcome arch at the entry to San Antonio Abad, the final route to the church, where the statues will reside, and be carried throughout the town during the two weeks leading up to Easter Sunday.

As the procession moves through the streets, people gather the flowers & paper decorations and carry them to the church to be placed around the statues.

The entry is carpeted with colored sawdust and flower murals, awaiting the statues, priests and parishoners

At the front of the procession are small girls dressed as angels.

The bishop, priests and altar boys follow

Roman soldiers

El Senor

La Virgen de Dolores

Men from the campo singing Ave Maria

Upon the arrival in the church courtyard, purple and white confetti is thrown from the church towers

The statues are lined in the courtyard while mass is given

The people are gathered to hear mass and celebrate

© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Viernes de Dolores, Friday of Sorrows

2007-03-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Friday of Sorrows,
Viernes de Dolores, Semana Santa

The friday before palm Sunday
The flower markets begin early in the morning
spreads out into the street corners of town.

The women who sell tortillas and cheese in the markets transform their stalls with purple and white flowers, grass which is sold in cans or plastic bags, manzanilla and oranges to be sold for personal altars that will be open to the streets in the evening for viewing by the public.

Vendors set up in the streets for the day

Typical purple and white paper flower decorations

At dusk, all of the altars are unveiled, and thousands walk the streets to view our lady of Dolores, Mary of sorrows. The altars are simple to elaborate, with statues, photos or young girls in live altars portraying Mary.

This is an altar in a store window, notice the backpacks and toys hung over the altar

A public fountain dressed up in flowers and a life size mary praying to Jesus on the cross by candlight

A young girl next to the altar in a private home

Live depiction of the virgen de Dolores

18th century statues in a private home

© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

The Frescos at the Iglesia in Atotonilco

2007-01-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Frescos of the sanctuario at Atotonilco
more to come..

© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

The City of Guanajuato

2007-01-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Guanajuato, and the museo Jose Chavez Morado and Olga Costa
More to come

Museo Jose Chavez Morado & Olga Costa

© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Christmas, Posadas & the Markets

2007-01-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

December 2006

The christmas markets

A typical home nacimiento -- fills a room or corner of the home.

Fireworks at the market place

Our neighborhood posada. Each night one family hosts the posada. A family member from the home carries the statues through the neighborhood, going home to home, looking for a place to stay.

At each home, a song is sung, and from inside a response is sung back.

At the final home, everyone is let in for refreshements, and there are pinatas every night for the children.

The photos below are of a public posada, given by four Orphanages of San Miguel de Allende. All of the children are dressed in costume, with animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, going home to home.

Mary & Jesus

Angelitos

and pinatas for all

the boys keep their goodies in their hats

A neighborhood posada, winding it's way through the streets.

The Parroquia, with a public procession in the back of a pickup truck, and people walking behind singing.

© All rights reserved, January, 2007, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Dia de los Muertos 2006

2006-11-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Day of the Dead Photo Journal - some of our favorite pictures
Watch for updates and more pictures between now and November 2.

Copyright October 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexicna Folk Art
© All rights reserved, April 2006, Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art

Amate Papermaking

2006-09-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

The art of papermaking in Mexico dates back to pre-columbian times. In the early 1900's it was thought that papermaking had died out. In fact, no one outside of Mexico had recorded seeing amate made since the 1600's until Frederick Starr, an anthropologist, while searching for traditional Indians in east-central Mexico found evidence of papermaking & its uses.

The Tepehua, Nahuas & Otomi Indians made and used paper in their religious rituals, and as a means of recording information. Starr was shown paper which was made from the inner bark of local trees (ficus/mulberry) & witnessed the women pounding the bark fibers into paper. He also discovered that there were small statuettes made of this paper which he was told were used in cultural & religious rites by village Shaman.

Hundreds of paper figure designs, as well as paper dolls made by the village shamans representing every type of spirit, person, animal, plant were being created for these rituals. The concepts represented by these paper cuttings have existed since & been used in rituals since pre-columbian times. The word amate means 'paper' in the Nahuatl language.

Amate use during the 16th Century & Spanish Conquest:

During the time of Cortez & Spanish conquest, paper was respected as a sacred substance & used for commerce and recording of information, much the way we use paper today.

The Codex Mendoza an ancient amate document which is still in existence, shows there were 42 towns or villages where the 480,000 pieces of amate paper was made during a one year period - an enormous amount, considering the time. Celebrations, dreams & spirit matter, genealogy, wars, disease, divination, cures, rulers, plants/animals & details of cultural life were recorded on this paper.

Besides being used to keep records & information, amate was used in Codices (books made of long sheets in accordian fold, with figures & characters to represent data & information). Due to the nature of its organic matter, very few of these documents & ritual pieces exist today.

The elders & spiritual leaders were responsible for the safekeeping of this information & knew how to read them. According to Alan Sandstrom in his book Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico "Virtually every Aztec rite included the adorning of statues of sacred objects with paper.....these paper adornments were cut to proper shape & often dyed & decorated to correspond to symbolic colors of a particular deity."

Now, as in early times, amate paper is commercially traded and is a main income source for the Otomí people. This paper has been sold mainly to artists in the state of Guerrero, who paint the colorful paintings that are sold throughout outdoor markets in Mexico.

For the last 30 years
artists have been painting historias of village life in colorful images representing spiritual & cultural village life. The scenes depict births, deaths, marriages, planting & harvest, fiestas, celebrations, as well as simple everyday chores such as washing laundry in the river, carrying water, wars & skirmishes.

Early amate paintings were painted in simple, natural colors & dyes, using animal hair & plant fiber brushes. As modern paints & materials have become available, artists began using the wide array of acrylic & neon colors currently available.

Machine stamping is quite common these days in the amates that you see in outdoor markets throughout Mexico. They are sold to vendors who then hand paint in the pre-stamped design, much the way we use paint by number kits. It is unusual in these marketplaces to find unique hand drawn & painted Amates.

Amate Paper used in Religious Rituals -Spirit Figures

The Otomí people create elaborate & artful designs from the bark paper they create. These cut out paper figures are used in elaborate rituals performed by the village shaman. Being animistic in nature, they attribute these spiritual (god-like) energies, to village & world events, health, fertility, weather, harvest etc..

The designs of these spirit representations include gods, saints, animal companion spirits, malevolent spirits, human, animal & plant spirits. These spirits inhabit the sky, earth, and the underworld. Each spirit realm is important and is recognized fully in ritual events.

Three day rituals are held to cleanse & align the spirit world in households & communities of the Otomí. On day one, the malevolent spirits have center stage. Although these spirits represent negative energies, disease, ill will etc. they are considered as important as the good spirits & are recognized, fed & honored in the initial phase of a 3 day ritual, as well as in daily life. After the spirits are nourished,the shaman gathers the paper spirit representations & gives them to a runner who runs miles out of the village to bury the spirits beneath the soil, appeased.

The Shaman then cuts a new set of spirits representing the gods, saints, animals & plants. There could be over 25 or more of these, each hand cut & placed on the altar (usually a dirt floor). Singing, dancing, food, flowers, water and other offerings are made to these living spirits to ensure the desired outcome of the ritual.

To this day, there is an annual community ritual at the end of each year to cleanse the community & bring good energy for the coming year. There are also rituals throughout the year for rain, health, crop production & harvest, as well as other life events & activities.

Otomi Amate Spirit Art

While the colorful amate paintings are common throughout Mexico, the spirit figure amate by the Otomí as seen in our store are less common & are rarely found outside of the Otomí villages.

Each figure represents an aspect of life and energy that must be respected in order to live a life rich in spirituality & ritual. In the villages, entire families are involved in papermaking, as well as using the paper in artistic ways to bring life to the unseen energies around us.

What makes these Otomí pieces unique for your Mexican Folk Art Collection, are the ritual & sacred practices that are still being practiced in its indiginous, traditional forms.

We've yet to see, as the modern world encroaches into the lives of these people, how it will change the ritual and artistic aspects of the culture.

THE PROCESS:

Village members work in outdoor courtyards.The strips of bark are
criss-crossed over sheets of plywood, then gently pressed with a porous
stone to mash the strands together to make paper .

The bark is peeled in strips, boiled with lye & ash to soften the bark. Natural or synthetic dyes are addedto this process

Brother, sister and entire families workside by side, pounding the wet strips into paper, creating an artistic piece.

Along with papermaking, the women of the village also embroider and bead intricate designs on their clothing which represents the village & family story.

Trees of Life, Izucar de Matamoros

2006-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

To get there you pass through farmlands, agave fields and eventually into the sleepy town of Izucar de Matamoros, south- west of the city of Puebla. Like many Mexican towns, it centers around a main plaza or zocolo that features a church, government buildings, merchants and restaurants. It is not a pretty town, like the colonial or beach towns, and it is made up of typical barrios with low square concrete houses and is home to some of the most outstanding folk artists of Mexico whose roots go back to the 1800's.

Izucar de Matamoros is one of three main towns that are renowned for the trees of life that come out of Mexico. It is not a shopping town, and you won't find the work in the few shops that surround the zocolo, nor will you find them in the surrounding streets. You would not travel to Izucar for the romantic Mexican Vacation, the great hotels the food or the beauty, but if you collect trees of life, it is a town you will want to visit.

The artists from Izucar create trees of life candelabras, incense burners, tree of life figures, ornaments and a wide variety of work that relates to traditional holidays, birthdays, el dia de los muertos and some just for fun.

The Flores and Castillo families are the main families that are continuing the work which has it's roots in the tradition since the 1800's. Francisco Flores told us that his father's trees were originally used as a gift from the godparents to a bride and groom at the wedding. The tree symbolized prosperity, health, fertility and hope and blessing for the new couple.

Still using the molds and paints that were used by his father in the early 1900's, he continues the family tradition, started by his father Aurelio, by using the old style molds and painting with aniline dyes which creates an effect of a wash over white. His repertoire includes trees with religious figures dia de los muertos pieces, candelabras and incense burners. More than any other artist of this area, he continues to work keeping the very traditinal styles alive.

Isabel, Heriberto and Alfonso Castillo are renowned throughout the Mexican folk art world, and are all widely collected. These artists began working with their mother as young children. The work of Isabel and Heriberto is bright, imaginative and painted in acrylic/polychromatic style. They use a combination of old molds and their own creations. Alfonso, who has won many awards, and is celebrated as one of the 'great masters' in the Banamex Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art book. His work is unique and earthy and intricately painted in natural dyes. He commands collectors pricing, which is well deserved, for the beauty and intricacy of his work.

Isabel has traveled widely, including to the USA for shows, exhibitions and to teach. She tells us that her grandmother began making arbol de vidas 125 years ago. She says her mother began the tradition in Izucar, but we have heard from Francisco Flores that his father was the first. Whatever the case, there is long standing community pride in the history of the tree of life tradition in Izucar de Matamoros.

Like many Mexican Folk Artists we know, the whole house & courtyard are utilized in the making of their craft. On our last visit, her children had taken over the molding, firing and dipping process. Isabel and her husband Gustavo were painting, selling and constructing new living space. Isabel is a very straightforward, no-nonsense person with a great sense of humor and great pride in the century-old tradition that she carries on.

The photos below follow the process that Isabel uses to make her creations.

The 'clay' is dried in chunks and is stored in large baskets in the upstairs of the studio. They are moistened by soaking, then kneading the clay into shape on her concrete work table.

Isabel works with the television going in the background, alongside rubber dinosaurs, toys of her grandchildren and her materials.

This little bird is molded into shape very quickly.

With her thumbnail, she shapes the bird's wing feathers and bill.

The pieces are placed deep into the oven and the sheet metal cover is lowered when firing the pieces. They are then cooled off in the kiln, then taken to the baby bathtub, which is full of white house paint and dipped. They are given three dips, then dried outside under the tin roof.

The final step, is the painting of the pieces with acrylic paints, then they are sealed with lacquer. At the time of our first visit in the mid 1990's, Isabel and her husband Gustavo, were no longer forming and working with the clay. They were painting together in the living room. Her sons and daughters are now doing much of the work, and ushering the next generation into the tradition.

Trees and molds, hanging on the wall.

Why We Are Drawn to Folk Art

We live in a world where whatever we need is ready made, packaged and ready to take away. Most of what we purchase, whether it be food, household items or art, has been made in a factory somewhere in the world and brought to our doorstep.

It is rare to find work that is made by hand, piece by piece, with great attention and care to detail. Some of the world’s most exciting and creative folk art is made by common untrained people of Mexico, using whatever materials are at hand.

The work is steeped in tradition and is a place in the world where whole families still work together to bring income into the family, where family members work simply, with their hands, together, for a lifetime. The work includes utilitarian, ceremonial, decorative and historic objects that are vessels for local history, tradition and design mixed with modern and new techniques. It enjoys a history of over 2000 years and the people of Mexico are continuing to create art that reflects the roots and tradition of the culture. It is not a static thing and is ever changing as new ideas, materials and processes find their ways into the work, and old methods are rediscovered.

The world recognizes the inherent Mexican character which carries sense of national identity that the world relates to and understands, giving the work of regular people world wide recognition.

Trees of life from Izucar de Matamoros

Heriberto Castillo Orta has followed in the footsteps of his mother, Catarina Orta de Castillo, working in clay and color since he was young. Now in his late 70's he still maintains a small studio where he lives and works. He has a bed, a cook top, small shelf for his clothing, a few dishes. The bed is always smoothly made, with a few clothing items laid out. There are chickens and dogs running the yard. His workspace includes a slab table, chair, a few rows of shelves that hold his finished pieces, jars of paints and brushes, and a collection of pinup calendars and pictures of tigers and other animals that muses. I always go away thinking that the living studio space has a packed dirt floor, but in reality, I believe it is a concrete slab

Heriberto is a gentle man, always happy to see you coming down the street to visit him. He seems to have a sixth sense when you are leaving the home of his sister Isabel, and greets you at the gate and takes you in to see his current work. Heriberto's work follows traditional lines, such as the trees of life that his parents and grandparents made, animal candle figures, suertes and pyramid animal figures. Along with these, he creates 'sahumarias' or copal incense burners that are fashioned as the religious figures of San Rafael, San Miguel, the Anima sola & the Virgin of Guadalupe. One time you will find traditional dancers, another time mariachi figures or birthday candles. He works with traditional molds, but also creates new figures by hand. He paints with modern paints, acrylic, but does not finish them in the super glossy lacquer like Isabel's work.

His painting style reflects that of Alfonso, but not so finely tuned, more of a rough look to it. These days, he rarely works in the family workshop, preferring the quite of his small studio.

Alfonso Castillo Orta

One cannot talk about Alfonso Castillo Orta without acknowledging his fantastic contribution to his craft and family legacy. During the farming depression of the 1970's Alfonso quit farming and decided to take up the family craft of working in clay, making trees of life. Over the years he has developed his unique style and brought back into the craft the use of natural earth dyes.

His creative genius, years of hard work, and willingness to break from the traditional family designs, has won him recognition throughout the world for his work. Choosing not to follow the family tradition in design, coupled with the decision to bring the use of natural dyes, which his grandfather used in the early part of the century, back into the work was what set his work aside from the others in his village as well as the ceramic works of other artists in Mexico. The work took on other dimensions, embracing el dia de los muertos and other traditional and historic events, creating new markets and attracting collectors.

They entered their work in various concoursos (juried shows) and won many awards throughout Mexico and the great honor of being included in the Banamex, 'Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art' book, which gave world- wide recognition to his work, and cemented his role as Master folk artist 'Don Alfonso'.

Alebrijes, Oaxaca 2006

2006-09-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Alebrijes are the fantastic mythological carved and paper mache figures you find in Mexico's market- places, villages and regions of Mexico. The name was conceived by the paper mache artist, Pedro Linares (1906-1992) of Mexico city. The word came to him in a dream, many years ago, when he was ill with fever and delirium. In the dream he was being chased by beastly dragon like creatures that were screaming 'alebrije, alebrije'. When he awoke from the dream, he began creating these figures out of paper mache, wire, reed and glue and painted them with bright clashing colors. They became wildly popular and the movement has spawned generations of artists who mimicked Pedro's work.

Around this same time, over 50 years ago, a farmer from Arrazola, Oaxaca, Manuel Jimenez, began carving simple animals from wood and selling them, unpainted, in the local markets. Little by little, his unpainted figures were purchased by tourists in the Oaxaca markets, and his little business grew. As his carving business grew, he began painting his figures with simple, beautiful style and color. The public loved it and soon his neighbors saw that he was able to supplement his farmer's income with the art he was making and they began carving too.

Over time, villagers in Arrazola, San Martin Tilcajete and other villages were making and selling carved figures in the markets around Oaxaca. The craze really took off during the late 1960's and 1970's and is still going strong today with literally hundreds of artists working in this medium of carved and paper mache animals, saints, angels, mythological beasts and dragon figures. In March of l2005, Manuel Jimenez, considered the "Great Master" and grandfather of Alebrije carving passed away. His work is honored in the beautiful Banamex book, "The Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art"

His sons Angelico and Isaiah, and his grandsons Moises and Armando still carry on the family tradition, carving in the style of their father and grandfather. In honor of their father, Isaiah and Angelico still sign Manuel's name along with theirs, to honor the work, creativity and gift that their father passed on to them.

Armando, also the Alcade/Mayor of Arrazola, began carving when he was about 15 years old. He worked side by side with his father and grandfather and brother Moises learning the techniques of carving with machetes, knives and developing his own style of creating the life like animals that he makes. He is a skilled carver who works with Copalillo wood that it is still wet and alive. The main body is carved separately from the smaller parts, the ears, tails and sometimes arms and legs which are carved, puttied and glued.The entire piece is then carefully dried in the shade sanded to a smooth finish then painted. Each piece is a unique creation with a strong presence, good humor and likeness to the animal it represents.

Moises Jimenez with Frog and wood pile

San Felipe and Oaxaca

2006-04-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

This August, we decided that it was time to go back to Oaxaca. It had been over a year since we had last been there and we were excited to visit our artist friends, discover new artists and sit in the Zocolo for refreshment and people watch.

We had not been watching the Oaxaca news until two days before our trip and discovered that there had been a strike of teachers, for better pay, that had been going on for several months. The Zocolo was taken over by campers and the government offices had been closed.

Sign : The Imperialist War Justifies the Rebellion

A group of over 1000 women, brandishing pots and wooden spoons had just taken over a television station and were showing video of the military mistreating peaceful protesters. The Zocolo was completely shut down except for a few businesses, and although the general feeling was that it was safe to be walking around, it looked like a war zone. There was sheet metal covering windows and doors, anti government graffiti on every building for at least 6-10 blocks outside of the center of town. Otherwise, it was business as usual.

Viva la lucha de los pueblos oprimidos, alongside an anti bush sign and people going to and from work

All of the street corners at the Zocolo had remnants of fires from the previous night, and the protesters covered by blue and tan tarps, ready to wait it out for the governor to leave office, and obtain higher pay.

San Felipe La Union
Some of our favorite alebrijes come from a very small, remote village outside of the city of Oaxaca.

San Felipe is a farming pueblo where corn is the main crop and because August is the rainy season, everything was in full growth. The ride out to San Felipe runs through many small pueblos and then into an expanding countryside. The roads begin with typical highways, and as you get closer, they become winding country roads, then dirt roads that we were thankful, had not been freshly wet with rain.
We lucked out with the weather, but it did take our driver an hour to find the town, which turned out to be a cluster of houses in the midst of farms that belonged to the extended family that we were about to visit. Here are a few photos of our directions angels. Three sisters dressed in red, who were thrilled to have found us, and their little goat.

We were informed to go down and to the left of the road along a small path, into the trees and corn to find the Santiago family. Our driver, Emiliano, who drives us everywhere in Oaxaca gave us a look that said, here we go again!

It was lush, green, and overgrown, the kind of path you take when you are backpacking, and find that no one has been there in a while to beat down the path.

We were greeted by the wife and children who said their husband wasn't home, and that he only had unpainted pieces to sell and to come back in a few days to talk with him. She showed us photographs of his work, and we noticed that there was a faded poster on the wall from Rodney Strong Vineyards in northern California for a show that his work was shown in several years earlier.

Of course, it was the work we had come hoping to buy. His wife said that we might go visit his cousin at the top of the hill, who had the only telephone in the area. If we wanted to place an order, we could call his cousin and have the girls run down the hill to see if he was in, then we could speak with him directly.

We thanked her and asked if they had a bathroom that we could use before going back up the hill and we followed her further down the hill to a very primitive, but well kept and clean bano.

Up the hill we went afterwards to see the work of the cousin. Along the path we were 'found' by the elders, Martin, who was one of the original artists of this style of work. He beckoned us to follow him to his compound, down a ravine, and up into his natural courtyard where we were met by his gracious wife, and brother, who was ready with his duffle bag of pieces.

Martin and his shy brother, with their menagerie of animals.

We were struck by the humble manner of living and their kindness toward us. The men farm and carve, the women cook and take care of the home and family.

Here is a photo of the home made comal, which the family tortillas are made on.

The corn, being boiled down, over a fire, before being made into tortillas.