Thursday, June 4, 2009

MY OWN CROSS TO BARE...
GIVING BIRTH TO
De La Rosa

After making candles, I buried myself in woodworking for sometime. I was making wooden crosses with inlayed turquoise and coral. I have always been interested in Art History. I guess it came out in my work. I experimented with different designs. My crosses were modeled after Byzantine, Greek Orthodox, etc. You can see them for yourself:


Replica of large Byzantine crucifixes

Stone cast. Gold or Antiqued Finished 8" x 20 1/2"
$35.00 + $14.50 s&h requires extra special packing


YOU WILL FIND MORE CROSSES: http://www.hlbiznartz.com/delarosa2.html


I had a wonderful Mother-in-Law, Rosalia Lopez, God bless her soul, who said, "As long as you have two hands no one can stop you from earning a living." She was my inspiration for De La Rosa Designs. I also make Rosaries, Rosary Bracelets, Faith Candles.

I continued making crosses but wanted to make molds of the ones I had already made. I was not satisfied with making Latex molds of my images since they were not serving my purpose. I needed to learn how to make ceramic molds.

Unfortunately during this time, I lost two children at a young age within a few years. I made them both personalize urns. Urns soon became incorporated into De La Rosa, as friends lost pets and there arose more and more needs for ceramic urns.

MEMORIAL CUSTOM URNS

For centuries we have used them for sacred rituals and storage for our wishes and secrets.

When my son (John 4/1/2001) and daughter (Lea 2/12/2004) died, making their custom urns helped me to accept the loss and emptiness.

Each individual's situation is unique, I strive to help you create an Custom Urn of rememberance with your loved one's special information. Every order is custom made. No two are alike.
Your order will be processed as a custom order which means we make it withthe utmost care. Urns are specially wrapped and packed to insure it arrives in your hands in tack and safely.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

A WHOLE LOTTA CANDLE WAX...

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

-Maya Angelou

The very first thing I did was make candles. I got a job working parttime at a printing shop in Albuquerque doing typesetting and I learned the printing business from the ground up. It wasn't long before we aquired a little printing equipment and with my husband doing sales we kept our little ship afloat. My husband ran across a whole box of candle making supplies and asked me if I would like to look through the box before he tossed it. It was full of wax, wicks and candle scents. They seemed too nice to throw away, although I didn't know what I was going to do with all that stuff. I did not have any molds for any of it. So I sculpted my own. When you grow up living through the great depression, you know better than let things go to waste. I made latex molds and filled them with wax, colored it and scented it and continued one project after another until I perfected everything I made. Then my daughter, Leah, came along and said, "Why not make angels?" Then my dear neighbor, Margie Gay, a well known sandstone painter suggested I make some southwest themed pieces... I peddled them one by one at local craft shows and holiday sales and continued to incorporate new ideas.

So that was the beginning...

We opened H & L Enterprises as a printing business and it turned into a multitude of projects and artwork that just never stopped. Little did I know when I started those candles that 25 years later New Mexico Magazine would be doing an article about my little southwest miniature candle pots. I guess you could say I've come full circle.


southwest miniature candle pots

If you'd like to see the rest of my candle handmade line please visit my

KANDLES FOREVER, webstore page.

Thank you for looking. Love to all of you, Pat

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Artist In Me

I was forced into Art. Of course I don't think that way anymore. I know it was my destiny. I had a long career in the medical field until one day after well over 20 years at the same place I was told to pack my bags. I started on my journey reluctantly but it lead me to find the Artist In My Heart. Turns out she's a good old gal!

I've been working in my own home studio for a long, long time now and I dabble in just about everything you can think of as far as art is concerned. I'll be sharing much of it with you. Don't be scared, we'll take this journey together...Love, Pat