Unusual Gift Ideas

Natural wood board or trivet

 Wooden Images
8” round, 8”x12” rectangle Natural hardwood cutting boards or trivet.

All boards vary depending on the woods used, each is food safe and washable.  Some of the woods used have vibrant color, including Purple heart (purple), Padouk(red-orange), and Pau Amarillo (yellow).   The chevron or feather pattern runs through the center of each. A hole is located near the edge for help in holding the board, or for hanging it on the wall.
8” round: $30.00 8”x12” rectangle: $42.00

Retablo Mask Maker

 Nicario Jimenez
13.5”x12”  Potatos and plaster of Paris. Wooden box filled with hand-made figurines.

Retablos are sophisticated folk art in the form of portable boxes filled with brightly colored figurines arranged into intricate narrative scenes.  From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Retablos were carried through the mountains by Spanish priests as portable religious shrines for Catholic saints.  Later, they were adapted by indigenous people to include their own deities and mythologies.  Nicario’s compositions depict religious, historical and everyday events.  His hands move quickly and with confidence to fashion people, animals, and mythical figurines as he creates poignant scenes from a doughy mixture of boiled potato and gypsum powder.  For his sculpting process, Jimenez’s only tool is a small piece of wood resembling an enlarged toothpick.