The creation of a lacquer piece begins with the sanding a wooden box or a hard-bark gourd until its surface is smooth. Next, the piece is sealed with a varnish prepared from pigments extracted from natural earth deposits, which have been lightly roasted and ground into powder before being mixed with oil. When the surface is dry, it is burnished with a stone until smooth. Additional layers are then applied until the desired tone and shine are achieved, and the piece is set aside to dry for several weeks. At this stage the decoration is applied, each color being allowed to dry before the next is added. Each artist develops his or her own technique for brushing. Sometimes the brushes used to apply the colors are homemade from unusual materials, such as bird feathers or cat hair.

Yolanda is the renowned José Luis Cerda Baez' sister. If you are interested in purchasing her work contact Marianne Carlson at 011522 376 765 7485, or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com