On Sale, Slight Imperfection, Handcrafted Haitian Garden Sculptures, Upcycled Oil Barrel Sculpture , Sea Life and Sky

Octopus 23" x 23"
Moon 15" x 15"
Moon Sun Stars 14.5" x 14.5"
These are photos of the items you will receive.

As you might guess, with anything made by hand, some mistakes can creep in. Ever replaced a button with one that was a little too small? Added almond extract instead of vanilla to the cookies? Did you throw them out? No, you made lemonade from those lemons! So with our Haitian art, items with small imperfections aren't discarded. Say the finish isn't quite uniform or a hanger is missing. Why toss it out? It is functional and beautiful in it's own unique, imperfect way. Additionally, "mistakes" are part of a learning process for young artists. We buy pieces that are less than perfect to encourage those who are just starting out but point out flaws as a means of teaching standards of quality. This enables them to buy more materials and keep working, and ultimately become successful. By buying any of these imperfect pieces, which we offer at a discounted rate, you help us help them.



Fair trade isn't just a good idea - its the way we do business. We offer a hand up, not a hand out to our artist partners in Haiti. Each sale of their metal sculptures represents a positive step toward a better life.

The center of Haitian metal sculpture is the village of Croix-des-Bouquets, where the clanging sound of hammers striking chisels is a constant music. To begin, the artist chalks his design onto the metal. Chisels, dies and a large hammer are used to cut and shape the piece, giving it form and texture. When the highly intricate and physically demanding work is complete and the artist is satisfied with his work, he signs his name boldly with a small chisel and applies a clear, weather-proof coating. The result is a wonderful, fair trade piece of handcrafted art.

This metal sculpture is meant for display indoors or out, but if you choose to display yours outside, be aware that the protective, weather-proof coating will wear off over time. To keep your sculpture looking just like it did the day you bought it, take five minutes once a year to apply a spray-on clear enamel coating.

A few nails and a hammer are all you'll need to hang your sculpture. Look for a place where the design is joined or notched and put the first nail there. Use a second and possibly a third nail, if the piece is large, in other joined or notched design elements within the sculpture to straighten and secure it to the wall. The nails will "disappear" with the piece. Simple as that.