paintings

The classic alebrije style brings to life a traditional scene of the prairies. Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez handcraft a copal wood sculpture of a howling coyote, painting the artwork with geometric motifs and warm hues that make it a stunning decorative item evoking the Mexico of the 1930s. Furthermore, this fascinating piece is not only a unique creation; it also represents resilience.

The tail can be easily removed and attached.

The classic alebrije style brings to life a traditional scene of the prairies. Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez handcraft a copal wood sculpture of a howling coyote, painting the artwork with vibrant motifs and hues that make it a gorgeous decorative item evoking the Mexico of the 1930s. Furthermore, this fascinating piece is not only a unique creation; it also represents cleverness.

The tail can be easily removed and attached.

Mexican artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez carve and paint by hand a beautiful sculpture of a hummingbird feeding from the center of a lotus flower. The artisans use vibrant blues that transition into aqua and green for the flower and adorn the hummingbird with a kaleidoscope of color, using color contrasts to meticulously detail the bird's feathers. Made from copal wood, the pieces of the sculpture are removable, and, if disassembled for shipping, can be easily reassembled. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

Hand-carved of copal wood, this strong canine will bring the beauty of Mexican folk art to your home. Eugenia and Roberto Sosa create this sculpture, painting the dog by hand with varied and vibrant designs, such as spirals, geometric motifs, and checks in the traditional style of alebrijes.

Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness.

The exquisite detail on this handcrafted alebrije sculpture from Zeny and Reyna in Mexico make it a stunning addition to home decor. Carved by hand from copal wood, the imposing bull is carefully painted with a blazing sun motif as well as elaborate geometric motifs in a rainbow of colors. The tiny, intricate details are painted using a maguey thorn.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache. The same style of painting can also be found on other (non-animal) items.