Garden Statues

[Cincy's Wife]

We're hoping to buy a couple of statues for the garden (~1 foot diameter base, 4-5 feet tall), can anyone recommend anywhere that makes/sells this type of item?

[dcstroker]

Probably would help to know more about what you're looking for. Do you want cantera stone, talavera pottery, earthenware pottery, or even metal? You can find all of those in Tonala.

[nothernewbie]

I have and continue to buy clay statues both large and small at Hector's.  He is the store farthest east in the cluster with two bazaars across from 7-11.  Tell him you are putting it outside and he will put another coat of protection on it.  He is a great fellow and his prices more then reasonable.

[WideSky]

You might also try the store near Tepehua Treasure & Pet Store in Riberas - I think it's called Mexicana Artesana. If you wander out the side door and across a driveway there is a lot of stuff on the walls & floor.

 

[Cincy's Wife]

Leaning towards cantera stone for this project.  We bought a great statue from Hector's a few weeks ago which is sitting at the top of our garden, and have purchased a number of items from Mexicana Artesana over the last few months.  Both great stores but just didn't have what I was searching for at the time.  I know there stock changes so we'll certainly check them out again.

We've been to Tonala a couple of times, but not looking for this type of item.  I just wondered if there was anywhere else more local that we might have missed before we took another ride out there.  

[dcstroker]

If you go to the cantera stone yards usually you can have a piece made to your specifications.

[CHILLIN]

A sculptor I knew in Puerto Vallarta told me that the best clay (high fire porcelain) comes from Mexico City. It is imported from Laguna Clay in the U.S.A.. This article from MexConnect confirms that, I know you are not looking into making a clay a hobby, but this article is such a good read. If you are interested in this, I could pass on a few tricks.

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2809-is-it-sane-to-build-a-pottery-studio-in-mexico

This other article I have posted before is about the artisans around Lake Cajititlan, which is very close by. It is a long article, but near the end it discusses that there is a master ceramist their, and he has found a good local deposit of clay. You could show him a picture of what you want. If you want a true, one-of-a-kind heirloom piece, buy the high fire clay, and he will build a high fire kiln big enough to fire it. You would wind up with a piece which would sell for $1,000 to $1,200 in the U.S.A., probably more from a well known artist. There is no way you will pay anything near this in Mexico and it could be a good adventure and story when you show it off.

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3882-mexican-artisans-of-lake-cajititlan

And this is the sculptor who knows Marie in Mexico City - Alicia Bueno in Puerto Vallarta. She has some very interesting pieces, her work just gets better every year.

http://www.aliciabueno.com/AliciaBuenoEng.html

[bmh]

I think you are better off with cantera. 

[nothernewbie]

6 hours ago, WideSky said:

You might also try the store near Tepehua Treasure & Pet Store in Riberas - I think it's called Mexicana Artesana. If you wander out the side door and across a driveway there is a lot of stuff on the walls & floor.

 

Same place I was talking about.  Bought one today and my garden is full of tidbits from Hector.

[nothernewbie]

23 minutes ago, bmh said:

I think you are better off with cantera. 

For longevity, perhaps, but for fun try Hector.  

[WideSky]

I haven't been into the shop near Tobolandia, it's on the right where the lateral starts, heading towards Ajijic. It seems to have fountains and other stone items.

 

 

[ComputerGuy]

What about the statue and stone place right beside Las Calandrias hotel on the hill going west out of Ajijic, up where the bagel place was until a few months ago?

https://goo.gl/maps/rvoC7PESQHA2

[Glyn]

ComputerGuy, he is no longer there, I think he has moved to where WideSky suggested near Tobolandia.

[ComputerGuy]

Ah, that explains the comment about Tobolandia, which I have not noticed yet driving by. Thanks.

[CHILLIN]

I once worked for a Mexican architect in Vancouver. He really knows his stone. He said that all the fine cantera, able to take nice details, is all gone in Mexico. He had bought multiple containers full of stone rubble from the 1986(?) Mexico City earthquake, then assembled them as coffee tables, fireplaces mantels. He sold many, many pieces -talk of the town. He only had some smallish blocks left. I was brought in to develop a substitute looking product - which I did, and I am known for. He told me that the stones he had left would be worth more in Mexico than Canada. I was not a stone carver there, he had a Mayan from Guatemala on staff - but I can tell you the old cantera stone is far superior than anything I have seen here, or north Guadalajara. Many old buildings in Mexico are awaiting repair on the hope that some new stone, in large blocks, will be discovered. They don't want my fake stuff, which is fine with me. I cringe and feel physically ill when I see workers going up rickety scaffolds, and maybe a rope tied around their waist at best. They are most reckless, it seems to me, on religious buildings - an invisible field of protection I guess.

Glazed high fire porcelain (cone 10) is the best for endurance, no question. The hard stones, like granites, need a lot of expensive diamond tools and air hammers, and are very brittle.