“But My Walls Aren’t Lime Green!”

January 25, 2017

Bright colors characterize our booth displays. 

Many of you have been in our booth at shows, fairs, etc. and as you well know, it’s colorful! While those flat panels and fabric drops in bold colors are eye-catching and help us stand out in the crowd, not everyone decorates that way. In fact, neutrals and muted tones are far more typical. Not only that, wall textures are often anything but flat. Hence the very reasonable question: How will this piece of Haitian artwork look at MY house on MY walls? To which my response will pretty much always be, “Why great, of course!”  But you don’t have to simply take my word for it.  Let me show you…

You’ll see here that I have placed our SM401 “Hummingbird to the Sunflower” design against a variety of backgrounds. Just as our Haitian metal sculptures adapt well in a number of decorating schemes, they also are inherently versatile against a wide range of colors and textures. See what I mean? And you aren’t even limited to hanging it on a wall.  You could stand it up in a window, as in the bottom right photo. Or lean it on a shelf. Or hang it on a fence…You are limited only by your creativity and imagination – and certainly not by color and texture.  Display away!

Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Just Add Birds

July 28, 2016

Sometimes, when I am helping customers shop our metal sculptures, they comment on how they like the movement of this piece or that. Being

Tree of Life sculpture by Julio Balan (RND253)

a “word person” I always think that sounds funny. In the literal sense it defies logic, yet I know that they are quite right. The image is static, but it feels otherwise. In fact, many of our Haitian metal art pieces are suggestive of movement. Take for example our various trees of life. In the example to the left here, the design elements of the birds’ outstretched wings, the gently bowed trunk of the tree and its curved branches all work together to form an illusion of growth, wind and flight. The implication of activity is clear.

That illusion can be further carried out by adding a few small birds to form a wall grouping. The individual sculptures can easily be arranged to

compose a scene which implies movement and much more. When taken as a whole, the birds in flight and the tree now tell a story: The sun is sinking below the horizon. As darkness descends, birds wing homeward, settling softly into the tree for a night of rest. The caressing

A couple of birds hung in place near the tree become a wall grouping, Together, they create a greater illusion of movement.

branches provide safe haven until morning dawns.

Okay, that may be a little flowery, but you get the idea. You’ve got your Tree of Life. Maybe you’ve had it for a while and you want to give it a new look, extend the movement, and tell a larger story. The solution is simple: Just add birds!

Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Now you’ve got a story!

Papa Nwel and Papa Fwedad

December 2, 2015

A wish for you and yours, by Winston Cajuste

Since it is the beginning of December and many of us are caught up in holiday preparations, I thought I would look into some of the Christmas

Decorate our Hanging Spiral Christmas tree with tiny red bobbles for a bit of color and Suess-like whimsy.

traditions of Haiti to share with you here. Christmas is one of the major holidays of the Haitian calendar and many of their traditions are quite similar to ours in the States. There is a holiday tree to decorate, songs to sing, special foods to enjoy, and there is the embodiment of our

Santa Claus in Papa Nwel. However, Haiti being Haiti, there is a Rada to the Petro, a yin to the yang. In addition to the beloved Papa Nwel, there is a dreaded Papa Fwedad as well.

During my last trip to Haiti, i realized how prevalent the idea of balance is. Haiti is ” 90 percent Catholic and 100 percent Voodoo”, as they say in references too numerous to mention. Within Voodoo are two distinct spirit groups – Rada and Petro. Rada is benevolent and kind and the other, Petro, is fierce and dangerous. In Voodoo temples that I visited, I found images from both spirit groups represented in equal measure, together forming an idea of justice within. When the spirits are in harmony, there is balance in the world. In the sense of Voodoo, then, Papa Nwel would be associated with Rada family of gentle spirits, and Papa Fwedad would be the counterpoint, one of the fierce Petro spirits.

To be honest, Papa Fwedad was mentioned only a time or two in my research, but in both cases, it was in the same breath as Voodoo. ( See The Haiti Observer and Prezi.) Though I am no expert, I am not convinced that Papa Fwedad was born of Voodoo belief at all, though the association now is strong. I think he was appropriated from the tradition French tradition of Papa Fouettard, who accompanies Papa Noel on his visits to children during the Christmas holiday season. In both Haiti and France, the one bestows wonderful gifts to good children, while the other brings lumps of coal and punishments to those children who are naughty.

“They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake.

They know if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!”

Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Haitian Metal Can Be A Perfect “Fit”

July 9, 2015

A primitive sculpture, such as this “Tree of Hope” by Jean Carlo Brutus is a surprisingly versatile decorative piece.

Not infrequently, I have heard comments from customers to the effect that, while they like the concept of recycled metal art, and they like that it is completely handcrafted, and that they appreciate the culture from which it originates, they are concerned that it won’t “fit” into their decorative style. I get that. Not all art that I admire “fits” in my home either. But my response, though it may sound like a blatant sales pitch, comes from a true heart: “There are so many styles and themes within this art form, I bet you can find something that fits perfectly.”

Shall we assume that Haitian metal works well in a “Caribbean” style, since that’s where it comes from? And shall we also assume “Folk Art Funk” and “Ecletic” are fairly obvious “fits” as well? In a recent blog post “Create Your Own Peacock Room,” I talked about how peacocks were used as a decorative motif for a room filled to the brim with Chinese antiques and suggested that our exquisitely detailed Haitian metal peacocks could assume a role within Asian style . Maybe a little unexpectedly, but surprise, surprise – it works! Okay, so there’s four. What else? Shall we go with another style that’s not exactly obvious?  How about “American Traditional”?

Haitian metal can be a beautiful “fit” in an American Traditional decorative style.

Many of our sculptures are done with primative lines, not unlike those you might associate with quilt patterns, needlepoint canvases, and Shaker furniture. So yes, they are works of Haitian origin, but their inherent simplicity is well-suited to the “American Traditional” style. So, for example, consider this piece above (REC132 Tree of Hope) The sculpture is nicely executed, possessing fine detail without being ornate. The birds in the tree are universal design elements, easily translatable.

Now consider this same sculpture in an American Traditional setting. (See photo, right) The sculpture is complimentary to the total look, in sync with the spindle rocker, the cross-stitched sampler, the stacked books, the Amish print, and the black and white family photo. The colors are subtle, the sizes are proportionate, the design elements are cohesive, the theme works, and the folk art aspect they share bind them together as a grouping.

How about that! Shall we go for five decorative styles? Six? (I think we can!)

Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Sometimes, we just need a little help…

September 19, 2013

Crazy good antique store that still has MY French typewriter. Coulda, shoulda, woulda….

Horizontal pieces, such as this one-of-a-kind angel by LaGuerre Dieufaite, can add interest above an interior doorway.

A few weeks ago, I had the great fortune to have a morning to wander through the Sablon section of

Brussels for a few hours, all by myself.  The Sablon neighborhood is upscale and wonderful with the highest density of antique shops per square block that I can possibly imagine.  In fact there were so many, I started taking photos of them, just for fun.  But I didn’t go into any; most were a bit, um, rarefied, shall we say?  Except one.  It had a

“wanderer-friendly” appearance and in I went.  There, amidst the art deco glass and brass buckets was the most glorious manual typewriter.  It was French, I could tell by the arrangement of the keys and the accent marks. Accent aigu! Accent grave!  I loved it.

LOVED IT.  But I didn’t know what to do with it, so I didn’t get it and now I am left with nothing but

aching melancholy and remorse. I bet I could have thought of something.  Surely I could have.  I’m a clever gal.  I could have done something great with that fabulous old typewriter with the French accent marks.  Maybe I just needed a little guidance.

Which got me to thinking:  How many times have I overheard the remark at trade shows and in the shop, “You know, I really love

this Haitian metal piece, but I don’t know what I would do with it.”  OHMYGOSH! Let me spare you the anguish of loving and leaving – your guidance is HERE! Take a look at a few of these ideas for displaying Haitian iron.  These photos are not meant to be directive, but suggestive.  Hopefully, they will inspire a few ideas of your own.  So much the better!

Make a grouping that combines color, texture, and depth. Hang a few birds as though they are about to perch in the tree. (RND 253 plus SM491 B and E)

Tuck a smaller piece into a smaller space, such as a corner by the window.

First in a series. Contributed by Linda for Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus