From Austin's ecletic Tesoros Trading Company comes a beautiful and unusual Haitian wall sculpture created from an oil drum. This 14 x 34-inch depiction of a smiling woman with wings and Medusa-like hair, flanked by vines, flowers and birds, was handcrafted by a Haitian artist.

From Tesoros: Oil drums are Haitian artists' raw materials. The process of converting oil drums into sculptures is both a tribute to man’s imagination and resourcefulness in the face of dire economic needs.

The artist first removes both ends of the oil drum, stuffs it with straw, and lights it on fire. Once it cools down, it is sliced down on one side and flattened into a metal canvas. The artist uses a stick of chalk to draw an image on the metal sheet. With only a hammer and chisel the design is cut and the sculpture is made.  

Tesoros is a retailer and wholesale distributor of folk arts and crafts and traditional items from over 20 different countries including Haiti, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Columbia, Nepal and Turkey. Visit Tesoros' amazing retail location at 1500 S Congress Ave. in Austin. 

http://www.tesoros.com/homepage.html