outdoor art

Symbolizing loyalty and a good nature, a seahorse captivates with its royal countenance in this outdoor wall adornment. Mexico's Alejandro de Esesarte crafts the original steel wall art sculpture, which he paints by hand with colors of golden beauty.

Alejandro Chavez crafts a mirror frame rooted in Andean tradition with four different vignettes. At the top, Andean shepherds serenade the Holy Family beneath the stars on the very first Christmas. To the left and right, a llama and a cow rest outdoors. Along the bottom are three bright flowers. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of plywood and painted. The Peruvian artisan carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand to surround a heart-shaped looking glass.

Handcrafted ceramic ornaments are strung along acrylic cord to create a cascade of beautiful hand-painted colours that decorate the wall space above your bed. Anita Contreras of Peru presents this atrapa sueños, or dream catcher, carrying on a homestead tradition.

Made with a crackled finish and gorgeous brown hues that imitate Earth's natural look, this adorable ceramic flower pot by Pa & Suksun of Thailand is the perfect addition to a serene garden. Traditional techniques create a lovely look in the piece, accented with little legs and a whole that allows drainage.

Guatemala's jaspe fabrics are varied and beautiful. A type of ikat weaving, the threads are tie-dyed before they are placed on the floor loom. Members of the Women Artisans of Santa Cruz cooperative place 15 jaspe flags in assorted colours and patterns on a decorative garland. "These represent Tibetan prayer flags," the artisans say. "Their colours have meanings of their own — blue is a symbol of water, red is for fire, green for air and yellow for the earth. The cloth is woven by hand with much love. Many Maya hands have touched each textile, and we're proud to use recycled fabric. For us, recycling is another form of promoting peace and prosperity for ourselves and for our Mother Earth. Please remember that your attitude when installing these prayer banners is very important, and we ask that you take a moment to wish for peace for people everywhere so they can receive the benefits of our blessings. We want everyone to be free and at peace."

Teodolinda Seguil loves nature and its fascinating fauna, finding inspiration in each little detail present in the wild. Putting her expertise into practise, she hand-carves a birdhouse from a dried gourd, adding traditional Andean and bird motifs to the surface. Then, the artisan paints the item by hand and finishes her work with an acrylic cord for hanging it anywhere.

Ornamented with drawings of Bali's traditional fauna, this charming wind chime creates a serene rhythm that will transport you to the paradisical landscapes of this blessed island. Artisan Sindhu Nata unites bamboo pieces and a coconut shell using nylon cords, polishing every piece to enhance the natural brown hue. An albesia wood accent in the middle allows the design to convey a serene sound, which makes it the perfect addition to any space.

A frog exhibits purpose and good will as it goes about its business. A jaunty fringed parasol shades the amphibian from Bali's bright sun. A good luck talisman, the frog is a frequent theme in Indonesian art, portrayed by Wayan Kandiyasa.

Painted by hand in the Talavera style, a marvelous and vibrant bouquet decorates the exterior of this flower pot from Mexico. Pedro Tecayehuatl crafts this flower pot of ceramic.

Talavera is a distinctive art form brought to Mexico by artisans from Talavera de la Reina, Spain. The ceramic artisans of Puebla, Mexico then incorporated Chinese designs, thus creating the blue and oyster-white patterns traditionally associated with Talavera Poblana. Today there are also more "contemporary" designs that include yellow, green, orange, mauve, black and red.

National and international conventions require that a rigorous procedure be followed in the elabouration of authentic Talavera-style ceramics. Each individual piece will be slightly different, and therefore a unique work of art.