Rocio Pindter Ortíz lives in San Miguel de Allenda, Guanajuato where she creates nichos. Nicho folk art originated as a popular adaptation of the Roman Catholic retablo tradition of painting patron saints on wood or tin. Unlike the large, flat panels of retablo, nichos are small and built in shadow box style. Common structural conventions include hinged doors, carved borders, and multiple panels.

Within the box, there is a key object or central figure for whose honor or memory the nicho has been created. Nichos are usually painted with striking colors, often contrasting bright and dark, and tend towards what some might consider garish. In addition to painted designs, nichos are decorated with all variety of images and objects from religious and popular culture, especially depictions of the Virgin Mary, saints, the sacred heart, figures from loteria (lottery), Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) characters, and folk heroes.

Rocio starts with her tin base and decorates from her imagination. Her tin and glass nichos might feature the Virgin of Guadalupe for example with adornments as indicated above. Her colorful designs on the nicho and borders are created not only with paint, but also with sequins, glitter, chain, thread or rope, paper maché, and any small bric-a-brac. Other ornaments within nichos include milagros (miracle charms), beads, stones, nails, and other found objects.

She also decorates small wooden chairs with tin objects — hang one on your wall for a unique shelf.

Rocio attended the Escuela de Artes Plasticas Universidad de Guadalajara and participated in Expo Artesanias, Bogota, Colombia. Her work is well known for its quality and unique designs.

Jacarandas 27, La Lejona 1 Secc.

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

415 152 3154 or 415 151 0002 cell

rociopindter@hotmail.com