Art from Nature

These incredible wood carvings are called alebrijes. Most of the carvings are fanciful and stylized animals, and all are painted by hand in astonishing detail. Many of the designs are the Zapotec people's symbols for values such as family, hope, respect, and trust. Almost all are carved from the copal tree and the finest pieces are painted with paint that is also made from the tree.
I visited a workshop of one of the masters, and got to see the whole process: carving, making the paint, sanding, drying, and the painting. Some of the paintbrushes are so fine they have only a few hairs.
Everyone that works in his shop is part of the family. The patience and steady hand required is unimaginable to most of us!