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Fine Mexican Folk Art |
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The State of Guerrero is south of Mexico City and is known for Taxco on the north , near Cuernavaca, and Acapulco on the coast. In the middle of the state is an area with fiercely independent and highly creative people. The ares is called the Alto Rio Balsas and consists of 16 small villages. Afew of these produce all true Papel Amate Paintings. Mexicans have painted for thousands of years. The Amate Paintings are in a style very similar to that in old codicils, histories and wall paintings.
These paintings are called Papel Amate after the paper that is handmade from ficus trees in the State of Puebla. These are also known as historias because they tell stories. The depictions are mostly of the everyday life in their villages but with many images of nature, both realistic and fanciful. As always in Mexico the sky is revered with wonderful portrayals of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds. The mountains are also important features in great variety. The coarse, textured paper with irregular edges adds a robust feeling and interesting variations in surface and color. All our paintings are on the finer white paper.
We have been fascinated by the diversity and excitement of these paintings. We have collected them for a number of years. We personally review hundreds of paintings to select the very best. We are very fortunate to present this work in the LivelyArts Gallery. These paintings are totally original, highly imaginative, and are mostly signed by highly respected artists. Carlos Maximo is one our favorite artists. He is a master and has taught many others in his village and elsewhere this art. He draws his images from his immediate experience and portrays them with a wonderful boldness of composition and individual elements.
These paintings fit easily into any room and provide endless interest. Every time you pass them you may notice another feature you hadn't seen before. Most of them are very detailed. Unfortunately they do not photograph well, especially with the resolution restrictions to allow timely computer access. They are large and very colorful. We have more of these paintings than we can show on the Web. Your inquiries are welcome. We can Email you a larger image. In addition to the pieces shown above, we have A Page of the Highly Prized Ink Drawings on the Papel Amate these are quite unusual and highly prized by collectors.
The following describes, sizes and prices the individual paintings. All paintings are custom framed with glass in a way that properly shows the edges of the paper. Sales tax is required from California buyers.
The staffs of LivelyArts Gallery and our cooperating galleries in Mexico have been immersed in Mexican folk art for many years. We select only the finest, most interesting and most charming original art for your office or home. Such art retains its interest and value. We believe art should bring pleasure continually. We choose such art for ourselves and to offer you.