Visiting a wood sculpting shop across from the central plaza in San Antonio de Ibarra was an unforgettable experience. There were towering classically carved figures -most created for great cathedrals, numerous sculpted works of art including human figures, angels and animals amidst the scent of cedar wood and piles of wood shavings on the workshop floor. Here we were shown the carving process from rough through successive refinements. We were shown how the sculptors work with exact classic proportions, how repairs are made to centuries old statues, how glass eyes are made for the sculptures and how gold leaf is applied.
I think it important to note that the Louvre in Paris continues to send to these very same wood sculptors and carvers fabulous works of art created in past centuries because they are the only people left on Earth who work in the old, old ways taught by the Spanish invaders in the 16th century. Amazing!