Amate Bark Paintings

Amate is a type of paper made by hand. It is brown in hue and usually has more than one value of brown which shows an interesting textured look.  It is made from native trees of Mexico called Jonote or Amate.  Amate usually has two main themes. The first is nature. The State of Guerrero is surrounded by beautiful natural lands and much of what these artists see in their environment is painted onto the paper. The second theme is the villages that the artisans live in. Pictures of everyday life in the village are very plentiful in these paintings. Either theme is always painted in very bright colors. The contrast between the brown paper and the bright colors is incredibly beautiful.