RuthiMakes
Nichos Decorativos- Coming again in 2025!
Nichos Decorativos- Coming again in 2025!
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This is a class I typically offer in the fall for Day of the Dead. The last class took place on October 6th, 2024. Please sign up for emails to be notified for the next class option!
This class belongs to the group of classes I teach that defy a quick description. Part assemblage, part sculpture, and part mixed media, this class allows you to create an amazing three dimensional Mexican inspired Day of the Dead art box or 'nicho'.
In Mexican culture decorative boxes like these might be part of the décor for an Ofrenda. Nichos are often adorned with vibrant colors, intricate designs, and symbolic elements that are meaningful within Mexican culture. In Western culture, especially in the Southwest, we use them mainly as decorative objects, and they don't necessarily hold any religious significance. They can be loving, grief driven, commemorative art, or fun, irreverent, holy, kitschy, full of dark humor, and really open to many different themes.
Make one to memorialize a loved one who has passed, a pop culture icon, favorite singer or artist, or really as a tribute to anyone! You'll get to create a character skeleton for your box that signifies your subject. Create an entire theme, a fully decorated set, with painted or collaged background, sculpted food, wine and accessories, or simply make something fun and unusual. I'll have tools on hand for sculpting elements out of paper clay, wire and wood too.
I love to create these little boxes, and always have tons of little sculpted elements, fabrics, trim, and objects to add to them to make them your own! The examples above are from boxes before they were assembled, just idea boxes! Your boxes will look finished and detailed, more like the box in the first image.
What you'll get:
- Wooden box or vintage cigar box as your project base.
- Plaster or plastic skeletons for your subject in different sizes.
- Fabrics, florals, trim and beads for backgrounds, props, decorative items and more.
- Tools and instruction for sculpting and creating your set design.
- All the materials needed to decorate your box both inside and outside.
- Patient, one on one, differentiated learning, suited to your needs.
This class is BYOB, and drinking, (or eating, if you’d like to bring snacks), are always options!
I am dedicated to offering stress free, stress reducing art classes that are fun, no matter what your art experience may be!
*As with all Ruthi Makes classes, no previous experience in art or special talents are necessary!*
What To Expect at a Ruthi Makes Class
Ruthi is a veteran teacher, with Texas Education accreditation in Studio Art and over 25 years of combined classroom experience. In her classes you will enjoy:
- All the tools, materials and techniques, (except where noted)!
- Learn at your own pace activities, with one on one assistance!
- A fun creative experience, full of artistic energy!
- Lengthy individualized instructional time!
- No stressing, just a relaxing community experience!
- Taking home something unique and one of a kind!
- No experience necessary - EVER!
Cancellation Policy
As a one woman business, all material costs for lessons are taken from reservation fees. Ruthi Makes does not offer refunds for classes unless I am cancelling the class myself.
If you must cancel due to illness or other force majeure circumstances, I ask that you cancel at least 12 hours prior to your class.
The option to rollover your class fee to another class of your choice is good for 12 months. Other classes may require additional fees. All classes require pre-registration, and you may use class credit by emailing ruthi.makes@gmail.com to register.
You implicitly accept these terms to your class with payment.
Customer Reviews
This was my 2nd class with Ruthi (1st was pour painting so very different), and it exceeded ALL expectations!! I was overwhelmed by HOW MUCH STUFF she had for us to choose from - it was amazing bc it felt like there weren’t any limits. She went through the basic idea and showed examples, then moved on to explaining ALL the different materials. It was a lot, but as we moved through the space, you could tell the creative juices were starting to flow even in the people who didn’t consider themselves artsy. It was so fun to see all the different directions everyone went and how each project turned out. All along the way, Ruthi was beside us with suggestions, tips, and advice on how to accomplish our visions more efficiently. All the nichos were beautiful and fantásticos! I’ll definitely sign up again - it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon after a super busy weekend with kids.
This was such a fun class! Ruthi provided tons of materials to choose from and helped us bring our ideas to life. Any idea you had, however wild or complex, she would say "we can do that!" It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and we all walked away with something unique. I highly recommend the class.
This was the first class I’ve taken with Ruthie, and it won’t be my last! She started us out with some background on the Nichols and then walked us through the ABUNDANCE of materials available to
us. I think that we were all a bit overwhelmed at first, but Ruthie was super patient and helped us talk through our ideas and how to bring them to life. We had so much fun and the hours flew by!
