Luis Pablo: Alebrije Macaw Woodcarving baby monkeyLuis Pablo has carved many birds in his career, but the scarlet macaw brings out something special in him. This piece is a magnificent figure, carved entirely from a single piece of copal wood, wings, tail, body, base, all one. The pose is so dynamic. Both wings open wide, lifting toward the sky, tail fanned out behind. The bird is mid launch from a tree stump base, beak open, ready to call. The carving alone is a feat. To take a single block of copal
the look of a vendor scanning the crowd for the next child tugging at a parent's sleeve
a powerful symbol of good luck
framed by black-and-white patterns that create striking contrast
It is the opposite of camouflage
The graphite black on black technique that defines this olla traces back to the Ortiz family itself
and black is superb
the figure is beautifully balanced and well-formed
deepening the shadows and giving the surface the kind of tonal depth you'd expect from a painting
At the base of the sculpture
5" Tall 9" Long 6" Wide
Luis Pablo’s zebra woodcarving thrives on a subtle sculptural tension
the bat represents communication with the unseen and the power to navigate in both literal and spiritual darkness
