Isabel-Rodriguez

Artisan Organization: Isabel Rodriguez

Country: Central America

"My name is Isabel Rodríguez and I was born in Puebla. I am a very cheerful and happy person, with memories of a pleasant and fun childhood, like the day I bought a cow with the savings from my first job and my cousins and I played with it. However, I have also experienced difficult moments that have marked my life, such as the death of my father, which led me to drop out of university for a while. They were also difficult moments for my family, and I was depressed, but I never gave in to defeat.

"With the passage of time, I discovered how much I loved doing things with my hands and different materials. I decided to learn by taking several courses in different activities, from embroidery to paper mache, painting, and others, which allowed me to know an infinity of techniques. Then I discovered that my favorite material to work with is paper, and that everything I learned led me to meet great masters of this ephemeral art. It captivates me because it fills any place with its colors and reflects a fundamental part of our traditions with happiness and nostalgia. In addition, I discovered a world of possibilities to continue creating.

"I required a lot of practice with different materials to learn from the great masters. Their drawing techniques, proportions, and geometry led me to work with china paper and thus use different tools; gouges, chisels, squares, mechanical and electronic machines with which I can combine some techniques.

"China paper is a noble and versatile material, but it requires care when working with it. It is resistant and fragile at the same time; it can break, stain or lose its color if it is exposed to the smallest drop of water. China paper, cotton yarns and glue are the materials that help me to achieve this art, and I get them in specialized stores.

"I want to continue preserving our traditions through papel picado, sharing my inspiration that comes through my memories, the places and people that I have been able to meet in our beautiful Mexico." "