Blas Agustín Blanco is widely recognized for his craftsmanship in kitchen and tableware, crafting plates and trays from local woods like ceiba tolúa, teak, and colorado. It all began as a game during his teenage years when he visited his friend Jorge Díaz, who showed him his most recent invention: a carved helicopter from the wood of the matarratón tree, inspired by a helicopter he saw flying over the jurisdiction of El Higuerón in San Onofre. Thus, Blas felt like making one himself. After sourcing guásimo wood, he carved his first helicopter, followed by an armadillo and a small aircraft. The initial pieces found buyers in Chinchiman, where they were sold during that year’s Holy Week.

While his friend has since moved away from artisan work, Blas continued to practice his craft. At home, he started carving small turtles using only a machete, a knife, and broken glass for wood scraping. One day, a woman from his town requested a tray for grating coconut. This prompted Blas to acquire proper carving tools, including a large chisel, and taught himself how to hollow out a large piece of wood and turn it into a vessel. Gradually, his reputation grew, leading him to establish his own workshop in San Onofre, Sucre. There, he collaborates with four other men, creating carvings and offering carpentry services.

Blas has showcased his work in Expoartesanías, Bogotá, since 2001, a year coinciding with the inauguration of the city’s Transmilenio public transport system, he recalls. He eagerly awaits the artisanal season at the year’s end to exhibit his work. His spoons, plates, and bowls finished with olive oil have gained popularity, as well as his vessels adorned with woven vines along the edges. The malibú vine, a climbing type of vine, once used in weaving balay baskets for sorting rice in the region, is incorporated into his work. Harvested and divided into strips, the vine is scraped and sun-dried before being intricately woven into a triangular pattern for making the traditional balay. Now that rice milling machines are used for processing the rice, the balay baskets have become merely decorative objects. But, fortunately, the vines can still be appreciated in the vessels made by Blas.

While his focus remains on crafting table and kitchenware, the spirit that led him to become a wood artisan persists. He creates various figurines, such as crabs, horses, bulls, and even bicycles. Guided by an image, he carves the shape of the object, revealing its form hidden within the wood. This process requires all his artistry and concentration. His favorite subject is the green parrot, a form he no longer requires an image to carve. Having witnessed them flying above San Onofre countless times, their shapes are etched into his memory. A friend of his used to paint them and mimic their feathers using water-based paints. But now, he sells them without color, for his customers like to paint the parrots themselves.