Welcome to Eva's Casita Studio Genesis—Where Beautiful Things Happen

Wonderful people introduced me to art. Now I know that my parents were artists all through their bones. My dad would go to the river and get tree limbs and start to forge a chair with his machete. Then he'd make his own paint from plants he collected. While he was doing that, my mother would go out and get reeds to weave the seat for the chair. One was working in one corner and the other one was in the other corner, and they would start singing corridos (Mexican ballads) at each other, just out of their hearts, you know. Nothing was written down. So I grew up around that. — Eva Castellanoz

Corona made by Eva Traditionally, all Mexican coronas were composed of orange blossoms—small, closed, white buds that symbolize purity and chastity. Now, however, brides request a wide variety of flowers. Photo courtesy of Oregon Historical Society

When Eva Castellanoz was growing up, she was surrounded by art. Her parents considered art a natural part of daily life, like working, cooking, playing, and relaxing. They also enjoyed the way that art—particularly the folk art they made—connected them to their cultural traditions. Eva's parents used the themes and meaning of Mexican art to teach cultural and moral values to their children.

For example, they used azhares to teach Eva and her sister about the values a young woman should have. Azhares are the values of chastity, innocence, and strength that are symbolized by the wax flower bouquets and coronas (crowns) that women wear to special events or that adorn women during life passages of baptism, first Holy Communion, quinceañeras (a girl's fifteenth birthday), and marriage.

Eva's formal entry into the art world dates from her visit to Guadalajara, Mexico. She was 25 years old and was visiting her husband's family. While there, she watched a man in the street making wax flowers. Although Eva watched the man for only a short time, she felt inspired to learn to make these flowers herself. Both live flowers and paper flowers are used extensively in Mexican celebrations. Back at home, with a lot of hard work and patience, she taught herself to make wax flowers and elaborate wax flower crowns and bouquets. Eva is now a master corona maker in Oregon where she works in a casita, or studio, that she built next to her house and named "Studio Genesis—Where Beautiful Things Happen."

 

Corona de azhares is very important in our culture. It is symbolic of purity, chastity, and innocence. It starts in baptism and goes onto Holy Communion, quinceañeras, and marriage. It speaks. This art has a voice. Children have lots of fun doing this art. I have worked in many schools doing this with children and all of them make beautiful flowers and have a very good time doing it. All of my children know how to do this art and they help me share it with others. I have done an apprenticeship with one of my granddaughters. Her name is Erika Luz Castellanoz. And my granddaughter Maria Isabel Ramirez did all her quinceañera things herself with just a little help from me.

To make paper and wax flowers, you will need specific ingredients and directions, as follows:

Ingredients

• An old, deep fry pan
  
  
• Thermometer
  
  
• Old candles in light colors, such as pink, white, and light yellow (Dark colors do not work as well.)
  
  
• Several pieces of thin wire (available from craft store)
  
  
• Several pieces of thick wire-covered in thread (available at craft store or florist)
  
  
• Scissors
  
  
• Floral tape (green or brown)
  
  
• Crepe paper in light colors
  

Directions for making flowers

1. Cut the crepe paper into four-inch pieces. You will need eight to ten pieces for each flower.

2. Cut each of these pieces of paper into petals.

3. Roll two of the petals into each other for the flower's center. Make small, tight rolls for closed blossoms, and loose rolls for more open blossoms.

4. Add the other petals around the center.

5. Tie your flower at the bottom with a piece of thin wire.

6. Wrap a piece of thick wire around the thin wire. The thicker wire will allow you to form the stem and help it stand erect in a bouquet.

7. Wrap the thick wire in the floral tape to cover the wire. The floral tape creates a neat, more realistic presentation. If you'd like, you can wrap the thick wire with crepe paper instead.

8. Once your flowers are made, you're ready to begin the process of dipping them in wax-which makes them look like porecelain! Take out your wax candles and melt them in your pan. The temperature of the wax should be 120 degrees or 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. Dip a flower into the wax, and then shake off the excess wax.

9. Dip your flower a total of three times, letting it cool after each dipping.

10. Lay out your flowers and arrange them into a bouquet, wreath, or lasso.

Directions for making azhares
Azhares are the symbols of chastity and purity. They are closed buds made by dipping thread-covered wire into wax. The repeated dipping forms tear-shaped buds. A corona for baptism and first Holy Communion is made only of these wax buds—anywhere from 300 to 1000 of them!

Sometimes Eva creates little buds of azhares that have pistils in them. Using a razor blade, she makes four incisions while the wax is still warm. She then puts a little hand-made pistil in the middle.

1. Cut a piece of thin, thread-covered wire into three inches. One at a time, dip pieces of wire into the wax until the wax forms a tear-shaped bud on the wire. (Note: You need to dip each wire into the wax separately. The result will not be as beautiful if you dip three or four at a time.)

2. Group the azhares into bunches of three or four.

3. Once you're done making the azhares, you can add them to the paper and wax flowers you made earlier, or you can make a corona of only azhares.

"I can better transmit this doing it face-to-face. Maybe one day I'll come to where you are and we can make these together and talk about it. Anyone can make and enjoy these beautiful flowers. Thank You!" -—Eva Castellanoz