Forged Iron work of San Miguel de Allende

Some of the best locations in San Miguel to appreciate forged iron is the Oratorio on Mesones. The Iron windows date back 260 years. On the corner of the Jardin where the new Starbucks is all the iron is forged. Also there are nice examples on the Haciendas around the post office on Correo and Corregidora.

The amazing forged hardware of San Miguel dates back 300 years! Walking around the streets of San Miguel after 7 years still astonishes me. Once you start focusing in on a particular detail in Cantera, Wooden doors,Iron work or Hardware you see the craftsman behind each piece. In this post I'm focusing on Forged Iron mostly found in window railings and gates. Forging is the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. In San Miguel 200-300 years ago this compressive force was done by hand and heat without welding.

Once a person stops and looks they can see the iron has been split open to accomodate the post sliding through. It leaves a large impression in the iron. This work is stronger than casting or welding as it literally moves the form of the iron. This also adds a richness that can almost be tasted. This is the kind of craftmanship that makes a town architecturally interesting.

My wish is that people stop and notice what's around them. The stories are in the details. I want us to Open our eyes to all the beauty around us.

Etsy handmade product and designs

Yesterday I had coffee with a friend and we were talking about selling our designs on line. I was thinking Ebay but it's such a mix and selling our designs there would be difficult. That's when my friend mentioned some bag designers in San Miguel were featured on Etsy. I never heard of it. After she left I went to http://www.etsy.com/ and opened an account. What a great discovery! This site has only things vintage or handmade by the seller. This is cool, a bit crafty but I found some interesting items that have creative designs.
Starburst mirror made from rolled Magazine papers. This piece was created by a designer in Florida. You can find her at C2designs on Etsy.



I love this old cart by Brandmojointeriors. This designer has many tables mixed with new and old material out of the Carolinas.

Cast bronze skull pulls by billyblue22. Bat skulls to be exact.

ShabulousCreations on Etsy has created some playful chandeliers out of Georgia.

CraftieRobot mostly makes bookbags etc. I like this light box with VINTAGE HUMAN ANATOMY OF THE HEART .

Check out http://www.etsy.com/ and see my deisgns under countercultures. I listed my first design yesterday. Look for more in the near future.

Lanterns in San Miguel de Allende

I love the scroll support on the iron. Interesting curls have been added to adorn this lantern in need of repair. I wish San Miguel would go back to gas light lanterns.

From Spanish, Moorish, Spanish Revival, Colonial, Gothic,Contemporary, Art and Crafts, Italian and French. In San Miguel there is a lantern above almost every doorway.
Most of the lanterns are in need or repair. Not an easy thing to do since most they are hanging from peculiar places. What's more interesting than the actual lantern is the iron or wood angels used to support the lanterns.

Twist, twist and twist Spanish Revival style with green glass.

The angel iron support gives these otherwise plain lantern dimention and sets it off the wall.

Made from rin and frosted glass. This lantern looks like a Catherdral.

Typical overall shaped lantern but the rod coming out of the bottom adds interest and picks up the twisted iron work found in the framed squares.

An Elaborate hatched iron work angel reaches out and displays the mellow box shaped lantern.

MEXICO IS ONE BIG ART INSTALLATION

MEXICO is one giant art installation. Living inside the art makes us participate in that installation. We become one with art. Inspired by the play on textures, colors, smells, taste, sounds, light and movement. We are living in an art installation that's titiled Mexico.

Here's an example of snack displayed in a street vendors stand. Fruit Loops, Palomitas,Orange food and some other golden snack that I'm not familar with. What's to appreciate about this is the use of color. The bags are full behind the glass case and the bright colored snacks are layered between the light colored snacks. This concept in the use of color is evident in all areas of daliy Mexican life.

Galvanized pails full of nuts and beans ouside of a store front in San Felipe, Guanajuato. Color is used in the plastic buckets. Black against green and the position of the containers makes it obvious this is displayed in a well thought out composition.

Accidental art installations are the best. Old binders stacked and tied with rope inside the Municipio office under a light well. Certainly not planned but how does this happen? We might find something similar in the MOMA. Textures, Colors and composition give this random arrangement life. The rope not only serves a purpose in keeping things together but also works visually and pulls the eye across the numbered and colored binders.Building blocks for visual play.

In a discount warehouse near the Abasto in Queretaro. Color choices are important in all products in Mexico. The white handles break up the color. Why wouldn't these just be stacked up by color? The manufacturer at the plastic plant made a concious decision to mix up the colors. It's inviting to see the rich colors. Yummy like sweet candy!

Fireworks over the Jardin in San Miguel de Allende. Just another part of the great art installations in Mexico. In San Miguel you can see art installations above your head almost every night of the week in September.

Texture, Color, composition. Everywhere you put your eyes in Mexico your sure to see art. Be aware the next time your wondering the highways and byways of Mexico because the installation is surrounding.








Other blogs of mine.

Sepration and Divorce

La Pulga

Living San Miguel

Hacienda in SLP

Have you ever looked off highway 57 and wondered where those little roads lead? That's been my fascination as long as I can remember. What's down that road? What's after that mountain? I like to look at maps and read the names of remote places and think about the people there and what the they must do so far out from civilization. There was no one around to tell me anything about this Hacienda that sits about 5 kilometers of Hwy 57. The doors were open so I just had to visit.

The Butresses on this building are made out of Adobe brick. In fact the entire massive structure is made of adobe. Where the plaster has worn off and exposed the brick is only left the cement mortar. The adobe must have melted during rain.

I love these arches. Pulls you right through the space. Your body is tranported in and out of the sunny courtyard.

Yummy textures. This floor is tactile made from local San Luis Potosi stone. When I see a floor like this I think of many things. I imagine the people who laid the bricks hand by hand and wonder how much thought they might have given to the pattern and color of the stones. It's random but well thought out. I also think about how in todays design we're lacking this type of design. Everything now is mass produced and products are shipped across the world where it ends up in a residence with no relation to where the home is built. I'd like to see modern homes made with materials that are from thier region and not materials from around the world.

This church is barely standing. I was thinking as I was climbing around the stairs and over the roof top that with one more good rain and a little wind the domb will collapse. It's an oasis in the desert. Tucked in the lush pepper, Huizache and palm trees. It's blanketed in shade. Inviting the people from the country side to come in and relax, meet other people, shop and worship.

Matteo allowed me to take his photo in front of this entrance into the main courtyard that has the Church and what was probably a market meeting place. Just outside the gate is an orchard. There was thought going into how it feels to pass from one space into another. The large arch painted red. The wing like triangles lead your eye up to the arch and fanning iron work pushes the arch even higher leading you through another space and perhaps another time.