Create your own altar with one of the blank altars created by our craftsman, Skip Gerson.

Wood, polymer clay, air dry clay and antique lace.

The Lace Weavers
My love for lace and crochet comes from watching my grandmothers, but The Lace Weavers explores an even older lineage. It looks at the weavers of human destiny—known across history as the Fates or the Norns.This altar is an intersection of myth and memory. It is dedicated to the ancient spinners, to my ancestors, and to all women who create out of pleasure and necessity.

Found objects: rusted bottle caps, ring, and staple; vintage leather jewelry box; discolored clasp; crucifix fish skeleton; toy horse with jockey; trophy topper.

This altar is a passageway between what's seen and what's hidden. A border of worn, flattened bottle caps holds it together, like a circle of memory and protection. At the center, a small red door invites you to open it—a small ritual of moving inward.

Inside are simple objects: a horse and jockey, a delicate fish skeleton, a circular ring. Each one points to cycles, fragility, and journey. They carry a sense of movement and meaning that leads one to both a personal and a universal connection. Above it all, an outstretched figure shines a moment of surrender.

This piece is about thresholds—between inside and outside, past and present. It's an invitation to slow down and look closer.

(Our Lady of the Sacred Heart)

Dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, this altar honors the rich, centuries-old devotion to the Sacred Heart—a symbol of divine love, infinite compassion, and spiritual warmth. For this altar, the central figure reaches for a glowing, burning heart that represents the intense, transformative power of divine mercy and unconditional love. The surrounding metal studs and crowning ex-voto corazón milagro draw directly from traditional Hispanic devotional folk art and Latin American shrine traditions. By merging these sacred motifs with layered mixed-media elements, this altar creates a bridge between timeless veneration and contemporary reflection, inviting the viewer into a quiet space of solace, protection, and grace.

This piece, "To Bee or Not to Bee!!," is a whimsical yet profound celebration of the crucial role bees play in our ecosystem, from their essential contributions to our everyday food supply and medicine through pollination, to the vitality they bring to our gardens by enabling abundant blooms and fruit. Bees serve as a magnificent source of inspiration.  My altar seeks to capture the energetic beauty and industrious spirit of these pollinators, honoring their wisdom-filled narrative on the power of "being." Beyond their ecological necessity, this artwork is a poetic invitation to acknowledge and protect these creatures, reminding us that their presence, much like the qualities of courage, kindness, and self-awareness we aspire to, is essential to the beautiful and complex fabric of life. 

Wood, wax, earthenware, paint, found objects.

The labyrinth is one of humanity's oldest symbols of pilgrimage. Unlike a maze, it offers a single path—one that winds inward before leading outward again. It reminds us that life's journey is rarely direct. We circle through uncertainty, joy, grief, wonder, and renewal, gradually finding our way to the quiet center of ourselves. And then, transformed by what we have discovered, we begin the journey home.
This altar honors that timeless rhythm: birth, exploration, wisdom, and return. The crow, eggs, spiral, and watchful face are companions along the way, each representing mystery, transformation, memory, and new beginnings. Together they suggest that every stage of the journey holds its own sacred gifts.
Inscribed across the altar is a simple blessing that accompanies every traveler:

Go in peace.
Travel in safety.
Walk with courage.
Return with joy.

Whether we are setting out on a new adventure, navigating the labyrinth of daily life, or completing the final journey that returns us to the mystery from which we came, may these words remind us that every path—however winding—is worthy of trust.

Wax, pigment, Graphite, Oil, 23K Gold Leaf.

A cairn is an ancient human act of witness: stone placed upon stone to mark a path, a boundary, a burial, or a place where something must not be forgotten. At sites of violence, the cairn becomes more than a marker. It becomes an accumulated testimony. Each stone is a small act of memory, grief, resistance, and return.

An altar carries this ritual of witness into a more intimate and communal space. Where the cairn says, “Something happened here,” the shrine invites us to bring what happened into consciousness. It becomes a place to gather sorrow, anger, prayer, responsibility, and hope.

At the center of this altar is Light—not as easy consolation, but as presence, revelation, and summons. Light reveals what has been hidden. It exposes what has been denied. It asks to be carried into the wounded structures of the world. The question is not whether light exists, but whether we will allow it to move through us.

Wood, Paint, Found Objects, Fishing Line, Metal Hooks, Electric Candles.

This altar is inspired by the act of releasing lanterns, a symbolic tradition meant to help release past burdens and send wishes to the heavens. Rooted in Buddhist, Taoist, and ancient folk customs, this practice highlights the triumph of light and wisdom over darkness. May it bring peace to the home of its new owner.

Wooden totem poles, acrylic paint.

Backyards can be special and your imaginary place. In my backyard it would be whimsical and full of color. The world is not only black and white, there is color too
In my backyard I would have totem poles reaching to the skies, with color and different shapes.
This is my way to connect with nature and see what she has to offer.

Entitled SECRETOS, this altar has been reversed, where the niche is facing the wall.
This creates a secret altar where one can hide whatever they wish: Love letters, jewelry, keys, magic--the list goes on!

I pick up things, collect, make, and buy things all to remind me of people, places, and occasions and times of fun and enjoyment. The items in my cabinet are reminders of my love of nature, high school, friends, grandchildren, mother-in-law, family vacations, my church, my parents and sister, my husbands.

Straws, wooden dowels, paper, fabric, acrylic paint, acrylic gouache, glue.

“Round and Round” is a piece that utilizes moving parts and the written word. I grew attached to the idea of a form that could tell a story in a similar way to a movie or theatre. The journey began when I recently discovered the existence of crankies, or moving panoramas. Traditionally crankies depict linear stories, but I wanted to investigate the idea of a story that could be told forwards and backwards. Using the crankie mechanism in combination with reverse poetry became the focus for the rest of the project's development.

Wooden altar & wood pieces, paper, shrink film, fiber remnants.

Anita is a mixed media artist, fiber is frequently incorporated. In this altar piece Anita reflects on the scriptural verse "You are worth more than many sparrows. MATT 10:31" It's easy to question our self-worth from time to time - those critical voices in our head like to take over. Push them aside and remember, over and over, you are enough!

Metal, wood, paper, leather, ink, metallic finish.

The Masks We Wear explores the shifting identities we present throughout life. An articulated figure symbolizes the adaptable self, while interchangeable masks represent the roles we choose, inherit, or are expected to perform. Set within a shrine-like structure, weathered materials, maps, botanical forms, and hidden compartments evoke memory, growth, and lived experience. The mirrored face invites viewers to see themselves within the work, asking a timeless question: Which masks do we wear to meet the world, and who are we when they are removed? Price $350

Fabric, acrylic paint, metallics, found objects, natural objects, mixed media collage, jewelry.

The altar began with a simple question: What if the love we have been searching for has been quietly surrounding us all along? The piece explores the tender space between longing and belonging. It acknowledges the ache of love that was never returned, dreams left unfulfilled, and the quiet hope we continue to carry. Yet rather than remaining in a space of absence, the viewer is invited to notice instead all of the many ways love can reveal itself. Love is in nature, memory, kindness, beauty and small treasures gathered along the journey of life. The altar is a place where grief can be transformed into gratitude and longing can gently unfold into the realization that we are and perhaps have always been wrapped in love.

Watercolor, Acrylic, mixed media, natural earth elements.

This piece is a tribute to the world of natural flora and fauna . The process began with finding palm tree parts, to decorate and crafting with corn husks. A watercolor of an American Pronghorn is the central figure. Our connection to the world of nature is inherent.

Ceramic and wood.

The idea of this Altar Box came to me because I love visiting Mission San Jose which was founded in 1720 and the existing Mission Church structure was built in 1768.

The experience I am trying to create for you with my Altar is the feeling I get when I approach the huge wooden doors at the entrance and opening them up to look upon the beautiful light blue Altar with its yellow highlights and all the intricacies built into the Altar.

I attempted to create the same look of the large wooden doors with acrylic paint; the Altar is made up of 2-8” square painted ceramic tiles and I created the look of limestone on the exterior limestone walls.

The statue to the left is Fr Antonio Margil who is the Patron Saint of Texas and the founder of Mission San Jose and Mission San Antonio de Valero, (The Alamo) in 1720. August 6, 2026, is the 300th anniversary of his death. The hanging picture above him is Our Lady of Guadalupe. The small wooden door to the top right of the Altar was built as an access door from the 2nd story and there used to be a ladder to get to the Altar. The 4 statues built in to the Altar area as follows; Top Left is St Michael the Archangel, Top Right is St Francis, Bottom Left is the Blessed Mother, and Bottom Right is St Joseph.

Every morning I feed the birds, squirrels, deer, etc. thinking how much beauty surrounds me.

On my altar I created imaginary critters all connected and munching on bits of food. The grain of the wood helped me find their shape and form. My altar is inspired by and dedicated to friends and family who have suffered from intense health challenges or have lost loved ones. May we all receive exactly what is needed in care and support to get through hard times.

This altar is also inspired by a quote by Maurice Sendak, "Live your life, live your life, live your life," said in one of his last interviews with Terry Gross. It is a beautiful reminder for me to cherish every moment.

The items at the base are not glued down, so the purchaser can add their favorite items.

Acrylic paint, found wood blocks.

I convey my love for mark making and color in the art I create. I work intuitively, finding inspiration in my Slavic roots. Slavic symbols were used in early Christian mark making on houses, doors and as tattoos to identify persons of faith. They expressed community, a belief in protective energy and a love for God and nature. I wish this altar to bring joy and humble blessings to protect, heal and bless the home where love dwells.

Decoupage papers, found toy house, gold leaf, paint, foam core board.

This altar honors our home, the Earth, as our special place within the vast cosmos.