T. Ramirez - original works on handmade amate paper - image D

This is a gorgeous original work on amate paper. Though there are a number of Mexican artists who are doing this type of work, Ramirez is one of the top ones around. These works are watercolor and ink and measure around 23" x 16".   The tiny Mexican village of San Pablito, found in the mountains of Puebla, has been making amate bark paper for centuries. When the Spanish banned the paper in Mexico because it was being used for magic and witchcraft, the remote town was one of the few places to preserve the traditional craft. Today, the artisanal paper is highly prized by Mexican folk art enthusiasts.   The paper is made by stripping the bark from a wild fig, nettle or mulberry tree—each tree provides a different tone, ranging from brown to white. The bark is cleaned and dried before it is placed in a pot of boiling water for seven to eight hours. After boiling, the bark is rinsed in clean water and the craftspeople beat the bark using a stone against a wooden board. The paper is sometim