Rosarito, Baja California

Popotillo is the art of creating beautiful paintings with brightly hand-dyed straw grass, usually sacaton. The origin of straw painting extends back to the time of the Aztecs. Brought to Mexico by Spanish colonists, straw appliqué became popular by the early 19th century. This intricate art consists of gluing tiny pieces of straw onto a firm surface to produce delicate geometric and figurative designs. The art of Popotillo continues today with artists such as Oscar Morales.