Sacred Heart with Milagros

I was searching for some new ideas for art.  I came across some wood carved Sacred Hearts with metal pieces hammered into them.  

At first, I loved all the bright colors that were used.  But, the metals pieces drew me in.  They are called milagros.  Milagros are used as a type of prayer that one would put on the Sacred Heart or Saint Statue. 

Body part milagros would represent a prayer for healing of a body part.  Animals would represent prayers for protection over livestock or to overcome a animal stereotype like stubbornness or greed.  

I thought it would be cool to make regional milagros: El Paso Star, New Mexico Zia, and Juarez X for the Sacred Heart.  It’s a devotional way to ask God to protect and guid our Tri-State Border Region. 

The main feature of the piece was to make the milagros shine with metallic paint.  I wanted a nice contrast between shiny and flat objects with a black background.  It was a fun piece to do.  Now available in the shop. 

Source: zinniafolkarts.com