By Dagmar Reinhard
Juanita González Araya lives in Palmar Norte, everybody knows her as the coconut artist. In her outdoor’s garden, she creates art from coconut shells; some of her pieces are tropical animals such as sloths, toucans, squirrels, dolphins, and turtles. She carves the coconut with amazing skill using a chisel and a drill. She uses a variety of seeds to simulate the eyes and claws of her animal sculptures, and she likes to use macramé twine to hang her pieces, giving a beautiful touch when they hold hanging plants.
She recently participated in the Spheres´ Festival where she received an award for setting up the best stand.
You can find doña Juanita every weekend at the Marino Ballena National Park entrance. Tourists take her souvenirs all over the world. “I am very grateful to be able to finance my daughter´s psychology studies with the profits of my crafts.” She mentioned with a proud smile.
