Wood Box with Otomi Inspired Bird Decoupage from Mexico - Otomi Birds

Artisan Organization: Ana Maria Gonzalez

Country: Mexico

Latest Update

"My husband Ariel and I have worked with you since 2004. We began right after moving from Matamoros. We discovered you at a craft fair where we were exhibiting our work. At first, we experimented with several different crafting techniques such as stoneware ceramics. We wanted to see if we could grow with each technique. This is how we eventually arrived at decoupage.

"Decoupage isn't complicated, which lets us focus more on quality and increasing the variety of our designs. In this way, our workshop achieved a great workflow and, with your support, our income began to grow. For us, you offer a world-class marketplace that we appreciate and is, in fact, the basis of our day-to-day work.

A challenge that arose was our capacity to create what we'd imagined, but we entered into a pact with our assistants. We needed to provide them with more training and help them feel an enthusiasm for their work each day.

"It was you who taught us about the needs of international shoppers and helped us reach that level of quality."

Original Artisan Story

"Hi. I'm Ana Maria Gonzalez and, for as long as I can remember, I've been in contact with arts and crafts. My whole family produced them in one way or another and, whenever we'd visit our relatives, my cousins would and I would end up making something for fun.

"After I married, my husband and I created different kinds of handicrafts, but the need to make something different led me to launch my own collection of designs. I began making decorative boxes, painted by hand with different finishes. Today I craft boxes with vintage motifs.

"First we craft the boxes of pinewood. We sand them and then decorate them. Currently, I'm working in decoupage, adding an antique finish with a special formula I mix myself.

"My designs reveal a tiny bit of Mexico that I carry in my heart.""