17 January 2016

Mr. Julio

     There are several earlier blog posts here, with pictures, of some of Mr. Julio Lopez's hand-carved woodwork. 
     His studio and workshop are at his home; and his studio is loaded with lovely things on display that are made mostly from rosewood, sometimes from mahogany (the piece of a rocking horse, shown in the July 25, 2013, post is of mahogany and was considered by Mr. Julio to be a piece of trash when I found it at his workshop, on the ground, helping to prop up a bench).
     I try to visit him when I'm in Bluefields and often commission something from a piece of rosewood I get to pick out. He taught me early that many craftsman darken their rosewood pieces with shoe polish - so I always opt for un-shoe-polished. 
     And I always ask him to sign what he's made for me, which is what he's doing here:




     The shallow rosewood bowl shown above has a sea turtle carved at each end. The bowl is now in Richmond and currently filled with small 'officer' shells that I've collected on the beach at False Bluff (at least one local has told me these are called officer shells because they have stripes).