Paloma & Fico Workshop is a joint venture of María del Pilar (Paloma) Defendini López and Federico (Fico) Hernández Soto. Paloma taught Fico the repoussé technique. She took courses on the technique in 1993. She also took courses on painting in Caguas. As for Fico, he took courses on drawing and caligraphy at La Liga de Arte in Old San Juan. As he was learning the repoussé technique, he also started painting the pieces.

Both artisans are certified by the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, the Office of Arts & Crafts Development and the Tourism Agency of Puerto Rico.

The technique used by them in their pieces is known as repoussé. They work mirrors, frames, altars, triptychs, jewelry boxes, and any piece a client may request. They can also apply repoussé to certain parts of furniture. If you´re interested in any of these pieces, for commercial activities or corporate gifts, please contact us.

What is repoussé?

Repoussé is a very antique technique, it dates back thousands of years. The metal mostly used by Paloma and Fico is aluminum. But, silver, as well as bronze, copper and tin, can also be used. The artisans work on the reverse of the metal to form a raised design on the front. Once the metal design is finished, it can be glued to wood, metal, crystal or any other material. Patina and goldleaf, silverleaf and bronzeleaf, are added to certain pieces, to give them an antique quality, which is a characteristic of the artisans´ work.

In some pieces, the metal is worked around an original painting by the artisans. Others carry a reproduction of one of their paintings. They never use paintings from other artists or artisans.

If you want to make a special order, contact us.