Oaxaca Painting Styles from Different Wood Carving Villages

Painting Techniques by Village

Copal Tree| Village Styles| OaxacaBar| Cherubinos| Carvings| Rough Guide| Gift Vouchers| Carving Care| La Union

Methods of painting Oaxacan carvings are uniquely localized to the particular village they originate. Some villages originally had reputations for being weavers while others were potters. As this art form evolved these carvers incorporated geometric rug patterns and mosaic floral designs into their work.

ARRAZOLA

A great diversity in method can be seen in this village. Manuel
Jimenez set the art in motion by producing pieces with uniform
circles or lines. The Morales family added multi color outlines and
much finer dot and line work. The Ramirez pulled from their Zapotec
heritage and adorned their forms with geometric patterns. Castellanos
developed a pattern in motion for their lizards. Cortez went the other
way and created a soft look using colors for tinting and accents.

San Martin

The clay and corn culture of San Martin goes all the way back to days when
this village paid tribute with food and beverage to the builders of Zapotec
temples. A place very much tied to nature paints a tapestry of birds, insects
flowers on figurines as seen by the Angeles, Ojeda, and Ortega families.
Superstition and the After Life inspire and fuel the creative energy
of Cruz, Xuana, Fabian, and Sosa.

San Pedro Cajonos

High up in remote pine covered mountains the Blas
family paints in a wash of rainbow hues. Amazing
micro fine color play in pointillism fashion. Detail
is often added with cactus quills dipped in inks and dyes.
The meticulous detail and artistry add infinite dimension
to creatures that sing "Carlos Castaneda".

La Union

Far far away from the other villages is a window into
the past. Artists in La Union draw their talents from an
ancient form of toy making. Some prefer using vegetable
and aniline dyes not used by other villages since the 60's
for a deep feel that fades gracefully over time. Most share
a sort of rustic finesse that gives presence and personality.
These qualities are best seen in the work of the
Santos, Perez and Santiago families.

Elsewhere

Individual artists are randomly found
throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
Villages or towns that have but one or
two artists who carve for a time then
fade away. Some approach the art form
with natural realism while others develop
an entirely new style.

Copal Tree| Village Styles| OaxacaBar| Cherubinos| Carvings| Rough Guide| Gift Vouchers| Carving Care| La Union

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ARRAZOLA

A great diversity in method can be seen in this village. Manuel Jimenez set the art in motion by producing pieces with uniform circles or lines. The Morales family added multi color outlines and much finer dot and line work. The Ramirez pulled from their Zapotec heritage and adorned their forms with geometric patterns. Castellanos developed a pattern in motion for their lizards. Cortez went the other way and created a soft look using colors for tinting and accents.

San Martin

The clay and corn culture of San Martin goes all the way back to days when this village paid tribute with food and beverage to the builders of Zapotec temples. A place very much tied to nature paints a tapestry of birds, insects flowers on figurines as seen by the Angeles, Ojeda, and Ortega families. Superstition and the After Life inspire and fuel the creative energy of Cruz, Xuana, Fabian, and Sosa.

San Pedro Cajonos

High up in remote pine covered mountains the Blas family paints in a wash of rainbow hues. Amazing micro fine color play in pointillism fashion. Detail is often added with cactus quills dipped in inks and dyes. The meticulous detail and artistry add infinite dimension to creatures that sing "Carlos Castaneda".

La Union

Far far away from the other villages is a window into the past. Artists in La Union draw their talents from an ancient form of toy making. Some prefer using vegetable and aniline dyes not used by other villages since the 60's for a deep feel that fades gracefully over time. Most share a sort of rustic finesse that gives presence and personality. These qualities are best seen in the work of the Santos, Perez and Santiago families.

Elsewhere

Individual artists are randomly found throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Villages or towns that have but one or two artists who carve for a time then fade away. Some approach the art form with natural realism while others develop an entirely new style.