La Loteria is the traditional Mexican bingo game which features colorful images such as La Luna, El Corazon and El Mundo. It was introduced south of the border in 1769. These days, the colorful imagery is used everywhere - from classrooms to advertising to artwork.

Now Phoenix artist Teresa Villegas has added a twist. She took her love for Loteria a step further and created a stunning art installation titled "La Loteria: An Exploration of Mexico." The images within the 54 oil-on-wood panels draw upon whimsical Mexican traditions, historical figures, gastronomy and pop culture. Her work made such an impact during its national exhibition that it inspired Don Clemente, owner of the most popular version of the game, to adapt Villegas' work into the "Nueva Version."

Villegas gave permission to use her images in this craft project celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the day that commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French in 1862.

To read more about Villegas' art and to purchase the games, visit her Web site at www.teresavillegas.com.

La Loteria luminaria
Supplies
1 cylinder-shaped glass hurricane lamp, 9 inches by 4 1/2 inches in diameter
3 sheets of clear or white vellum paper
Color-copy machine
3 sheets of a Lotería game
Scissors
Foil tape
Double-sided tape
Glass votive holder with candle

Directions: Insert one sheet of vellum into the color-copier paper tray (either at a local copy center or on a home ink-jet printer). Lay the Lotería sheet on the copier glass and enlarge to 129 percent. Make the copy and repeat the process until you have three printed sheets.

Use scissors to trim the border of the printed vellum. Apply the double-sided tape to the edges of the sheet. One at a time, affix a sheet to the hurricane lamp so that the top edge of the vellum aligns with the top edge of the lamp. Repeat with the remaining sheets to cover the entire lamp. Trim off any excess vellum around the bottom of the lamp. Cut the foil tape into two strips, each measuring 9 inches long and 1/2-inch wide. Affix the tape around the top and bottom edges of the lamp. Set the glass votive holder with candle on a base and place lamp on top.

Tips and variations: Use the same application, except with family photos, copies of vintage book covers or colorful calendar pages. The printed vellum can also be used to make hanging lanterns or to line the outside of candles, partitions and more.



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Labels: Cinco DeMayo, home decor, Latin-inspired, lights, multi-culti