colorful wall art

Artisan Maria Estela Perlera de Portillo elevates a grateful prayer to heaven with this gorgeous creation that pays honor to El Salvador's enchanting nature and culture. Painted by hand, this exquisitely crafted pinewood wall cross portrays the region's fauna, flora and history in colorful hues, capturing these blessed lands' joyous nature.

Applying floral motifs over a body of black, Carlos and Patricio from El Salvador design this elegant wall cross. It is handcrafted of gourd shell over wood for a time-honored addition to your home decor.

Decoupage motifs depict the legendary art of Puebla to cover this reverent pinewood cross. The home of Talavera pottery, Puebla's ceramic art is legendary. Ana María González selects a colorful pattern depicting tiles.

For a faithful addition to your home decor, this wall cross will bring the atmosphere of a hacienda to your home. Mexican artisan Sergio Ponce designs the Talavera-style cross, which is crafted of ceramic and painted by hand with intricate designs and floral motifs. Says Ponce, "I love the great variety of colors and designs that I can transmit in each one of our pieces, always maintaining excellent quality."

This charming wall cross from the Contreras Family is made of ceramic and painted by hand in the time-honored majolica style. The cross features a dainty folk art Maria doll in colorful costume against a background of emerald green.

The charming doll originated in Mexico City when many Otomi and Mazahua people migrated to the capital in the 1970s. Due to their unique traditional clothing, the women became known as "Marias." An educational program was established for them and artist Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marin, encouraged crafting these popular rag dolls as a way to generate income in the 1980s. Artisan women took the idea home to their Mazahua and Otomi towns and the dolls became popular throughout Mexico and abroad.

Artisans of the Creative Hands of Oaxaca craft these two colorful wall crosses, working with tin sheet metal that is cut by hand. The crosses are centered by flaming hearts, and each is painted by hand and lacquered for protection.

By Elias Garcia, this handcrafted cross is a reminder of the importance of faith. The artisan covers the open figure with handwoven fabric. Diminutive worry dolls in handwoven apparel stand shoulder to shoulder to surround the cutout cross. According to Maya legend, the sun god gave princess Ixmucane the gift of solving people's problems. With time people started making dolls in Ixmucane's honor and they would tell her their woes, hoping she would solve them through the dolls. Many people whisper to the dolls, then place them under their pillows at night, hoping that the doll will provide a solution as they sleep.