~~LA CATRINA FRIDA~~THE CATRINA FRIDA~~

Here we have Frida the Eternal, creating her mortal self. A thought provoking image...the Huichol people believe that as they create their artworks they are creating the world that is represented in the image...or should that be 're-presented'?
                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Aqui tenemos La Frida Eterna, creando si misma mortal. Un pensamiento curioso...la gente Huichol creen que mientras estan creando sus obras de artes, estan creando el mundo que esta representado en el imagen...ó deber ser 're-presentado'?

~Jaguar Mask with Milagros~~Mascara Jaguar con Milagros~

"Grrrrr....get in here & find out what you're missing!"says the Jaguar. Hand-carved from avocado wood, covered with magical milagros (miracles), a perfect guardian for your folk art collection.
                                                                          ~~~

So What’s With The Skeletons!?!
   We hear this question all the time. In the rest of North America, bones conjure up fear, are used to scare children, and no good christian-minded soul wants to be reminded of death. Then, here they come to Mexico and find skeleton figures in all the art and artesania shops. There’s even a children’s cartoon named Huesita, or Little Bone. Why?  The answer is complicated, as different cultures tend to be, and Mexico’s culture is complicated indeed. The indigenous people of Mexico were conquered by the Spanish some 500 years ago, but they were not killed off or driven onto reservations. For the most part they were put to work. Over the centuries, the cultures of conqueror and conquered have melded in fascinating ways.   One of these ways is the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, a two day festival honoring our ancestors. Every year our departed come to visit, to feast and party with the living. The next day all go to the cemetary, where the party continues into the night. Then the living go home, and the dead await the next year. Though the Catholic church was able to move the date of this celebration to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, this is where Christian influence mostly stops.   It’s good to keep in mind that most of the cultures of Meso America were interrelated, the same ball courts can be found in ruins near Phoenix as are found on the Yucatan peninsula. They also shared their religions. An integral part of that religion was the depiction of many gods as skeletons. Skeletons were considered good luck and were a symbol of fertility, the dicotomy of life. The god Quetzalcoatl was said to have stolen bones from the the god of the underworld to create the different races of mankind. It was believed that the god Mictlantecuhtli and his wife presided over the world of the dead. They are always portrayed as skeletons. This helps to explain the use of skeletons in the Dia de los Muertos celebration, and why we see them so often in ordinary life. In Mexico, bones are simply not something to be afraid of.

Tom Swanson & Marianne Menditto can be reached at  

http://www.ColibriDesignVallarta.com

~NEW WEBSITE FOR THE BLOG~

I've been away from the blog for awhile now because I'm working with my web designers at Griffin Graffix. The new web-site will also host my blog. Hoping to get it up in a couple of weeks.
The tile shop aand the gallery will have their own sections and LOTS of pictures!

Meanwhile, look at our temporary page for a sneak peek at our new signage.

www.ColibriDesignVallarta.com
E-mail: sales@colibridesignvallarta.com

~MASCARA TASTOAN~2012~TASTOAN MASK~

Here is our latest bad boy, collected in Sept. of this year. It was "played" in the 2012 Dance of the Tastoan.

The "Dance/Battle/Fiesta" is celbrated each July 25th, the Feast Day of Santiago in the streets of Tonala, Jalisco.

                ~~~~~~~~~~

Aqui esta nuestro tipo malo mas nuevo, coleccionado en Sept. de este año.
Lo fue "jugado" en La Danza de Los Tastoanes de 2012.

La "Danza/Batalla/Fiesta esta celebrado cada 25 de Julio, el Dia de Santiago en las calles de Tonala, Jalisco.

~MAGIC...HAND CARVED~~MAGIA...GRABADO A MANO~

This was one of those great finds that you wish for on every buying trip. We bought this one in 2006 for "Casa La Piña". I imagine this beautiful architectural detail as having been part of a sign for a juice bar. It's quite old & hand carved of very hard Mexican pine, a slab 5 inches thick...wow!

We found it in Michoacan. They still do a lot of similar work there, but now days it's mostly of High Density Fiber Board. It resists warping and of course it's not so thick, so it's lighter. The wood grain is not an issue to be dealt with and they can use electric grinding and sanding tools. It makes for some very beautiful and practical furniture. There's plenty of that in "Casa La Piña" as well.

I'm posting some pictures on our sister blog "Azulejos Colibri", of the fanciful tile work there. Some of this furniture makes it's way into the act also.


http://www.azulejoscolibri.blogspot.com

~EXTERIOR VIEW~~VISTA EXTERIOR~

                     OUTSIDE OF THE "THEATRE" SHOWING THE DOOR-STOP HOLDER

~DETAIL SHOT~~FOTO del DETAILLE~

                                   
                                         A CLOSE-UP OF THEIR PLAYBILL.

~UN PAR de SINVERGUENZAS~~A PAIR WITH NO SHAME~

The title doesn't translate TOO badly! Literally translated "without shame". I love Spanish...so expressive. So many definitions/inferences within just a single word. "¡SINVERGUENZA!" An exclamation to express shock or out-rage. It is to say that some one is shameless or brazen.

I was looking through old Mexican movie posters online to explore the relationship between angels and devils in Mexican culture when I can across this title, "Un Par de Sinverguenzas". The storyline of the movie does not deal with devil and/or angels, but the title struck me as perfect. The angel supposedly does nothing to be ashamed of...the devil supposedly feels no shame for his deeds...how perfectly ironic! How fitting...as my premise was to explore their similarities.

I just finished this story box yesterday. 'Asemblage' is my favorite medium. I find many intriguing tidbits on my travels, file them away until I find the proper container. Then, the story wends it's way like a meadering river. I usually craft or modify the accessories to suit size and esoteric requirements. Putting a story box together is like creating a 3D puzzle. I like a complex tale that involves the viewer's imagination, that has many facets to the imagery.

Since moving to Mexico 12 years ago, I'm finding more mystery and inspiration than ever.

~TZITZIKI~~FLOWER of the FOREST~

This serene image, captured in a corner of the Hernandez Cerrano family workshop. Proud piña makers, now 3 generations strong. Their workshop has a registered trademark. It's called Tzitziki, a Pur' hepechan word that means "Flower of the Forest". They've also constructed a community Museum/Showcase in their courtyard, where visitors can see enormous award winning pieces from years gone by.

~DIVINE PINEAPPLE~~PIñA DIVINA~

This is one of the famous "Piñas de Barro", clay pineapples from Michoacan. There are many Pineapple crafters in the small town of San Jose de Gracias, Michoacan. Our favorites come from the workshop named "Tsitsiki", a Pur'hepechan word meaning "Flower of the Forest". The family of Pedro Hernandez Carlos, 3 generations, work their magic hands to produce these exquisite pieces. They are accomplished by a combination of molds and hand work. The details are all by hand. They are a wonder to watch in action. Consistent prize-winners and innovators, they set the high bar for their fellow craftsmen of the town. This is an example of one of their prize-winning designs.

Every time we visit them, I wander in awe, through the various work stations and drying areas they have set up for each of the stages of production. I want them ALL!!! This last visit, only 2 weeks ago, we got a preview of some new styles they're working on. The family is SO amazingly creative. And there are all sizes, from tiny to gigantic.

In the next few posts, I'll be showing pics from the workshop...get ready to swoon!!!          
                                                    

              ~HOUSE SPIRIT~ESPIRITU de la CASA~

This is an example of what I made last Summer, while we were back in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.

I absolutely LOVE my beach there! It's so peaceful & an amazing source of materials for a confirmed collage artist.

My inspiration came from an old Tastoan mask that we found & sold last year. It was 10 years old. It was made using a dog's pelvis as the main part of the face. The openings where the leg bones had been attached served as the eye sockets. It had a dried lizard over the 'nose' which held a tiny bird's skull in it's open mouth. The paint was almost completely worn off and it was topped off with a wig of multicolored horse tails. Quite ugly...but, well that's the point of a Tastoan mask.
Anyway, my husband just had to have it for the shop...I hated it! After we hung it in the shop, I shuddered when people would look at it. I wished it would go away...quickly! One day, someone wanted a closer look at it. I decided to model it. Gazing upon my transformation in the mirror was an amazing experience! All at once I felt the magic that it held! That's when I knew what I just had to do with all those fascinating bones and bits of treasure that I'd been collecting from the seashore for all those years!

Even though my collection is quite large, many times I must make a special search for just that right 'something' to complete the vision. This piece was one of those. I had to put it on the back burner because I was stuck at a certain point. As luck would have it, the very next morning on my beach walk, Calafia tossed it right at my feet...something rare at our end of the Sea of Cortez. You can see it there in the crown, just above the pearly oyster, a piece of very large scallop shell weathered to a bluish/pinkish cast. on it flowed from there. The face is made of a pelican's pelvis with eyes of  glass marbles washed up from somewhere. There are lots of 'twirly-middles'...snail shells worn down to resemble flowers and vines, or...? The dragon's breath is made of 'worm shell'. She sports a fish vertebra, pink barnacles and even a pearl.

~CATRINAS & BUTTERFLIES~CATRINAS y MARIPOSAS~

~THINGS WE LOVE~COSAS QUE  ENCANTAMOS~

The imagery surrounding Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is quite fascinating. IT TEEMS WITH LIFE! Butterflies, birds, flowers, dance, food and drink...the list goes on...all our favorite things in life are remembered tenderly, enjoyed fervently.
Actually two days...Nov.1 & 2. The 1st is for 'los angelitos' the children, the 2nd is for the adults, when the fiesta really cranks up!
Remembering those who have gone on before us...with humor, with love. Sharing their visions and re-affirming what they've taught us. We re-evaluate our own lives through them, on these two  days every year. Every year on these two days they come back to visit us. How beautiful that is...no...it's not about Death, it's about Resurrection!

~TASTOAN MASK~MASCARA TASTOAN~

The festival of the Tastoanes commemorates the Battle of Tonala, an Indian revolt that ocurred after the Spanish conquered & occupied the old kingdom Tonaltecas. The present day suburb of Guadalajara named Tonala. The Indian queen, Cihualpilli had received the Spanish with open arms & willingly converted to Catholicism, but a group of Indians less enamored with the European invaders & their religion had other ideas. They banded together with members of other conquered tribes & rebelled. A fierce & bloody battle ensued, with many casualties on both sides. Eventually, the Spanish horsemen were victorious. As the legend goes, when the native rebellion was put down, the survivors were turned into grotesque monsters~~Tastoanes. Much of the allegory of the festival echoes the religious significance of this legend... One of the principal Tastoan characters is Barrabas & St. James (Santiago) is the patron saint of the event, as he is considered to the patron saint of the Spanish Conquest. Santiago is mounted on a white horse fighting against the masked Tastoanes. The martyred Saint dies, is resurrected, wins the battle & converts the defeated Tastoanes to Christianity!
This mask was worn by a dancer during the ritual fight July 25th 2010. It is said to have been "jugada" or "played". Until very recently, most of the dancers, who make the masks themselves, would soak them in water & strip them back down to the plain leather base after the festival, thus allowing the spirit of the Tastoan to be released. This accounts for the rarity of this particular mask. The base is of leather, the figures in relief are ceramic, the wig is horsetail, the teeth from several coyotes~

                                                     

~OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE~Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe~

                   ~TONANTZIN~
                   The Earth Mother

              HER CHURCH IN PV

            CELEBRATED IT'S 90th

           BIRTHDAY 12 OCT. 2011



This is one of the very most beautiful
Lupita Murals I've ever seen.
We're so fortunate to have found it this summer in San Miguel de Allende.
We have a couple of smaller ones available also, by a different artist.

Ceramic tile is one of my specialties. I love murals of all kinds....cut, broken or painted!!!
We always have some in stock.
I do order them, from 3 trusted sources, but usually prefer to rely on my "personal search karma".

NEW TREASURE!~~¡TESORO NUEVO!

~~WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING WE RECIEVED YESTERDAY!~~ This is one of two Huichol ceremonial drinking gourds or 'Bules'~~This one depicting the Shaman (Mara'akame) on his reed seat, conducting the ceremony honoring the corn. There are many symbols depicted all around the gourd, even on the bottom...the deer, the corn, (shown). Some other symbols on it are the Mara'akame's drum & staff with Eagle feathers. It rests on a ceramic, yarn-wrapped ring made by Mata Ortiz potters for their 'ollas'.

¡VIVA CATRINAS!~~HURRAH CATRINAS!

               ¡Zapata y Novia son vendidos!         ¡Danzante vendida!