Jacobo and Maria come from San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca, which is located about 200 miles southeast of Mexico City. The couple is among a plethora of people carving mythical creatures with origins traceable to their ancestors. The process of making such carvings is involved and the Angeles have perfected the art. Carvings are first roughly cut by machete from seasoned wood of the copalillo tree. This tree has a sweet odor and twisted branches. The rough forms are refined with pocketknives before being sanded smooth, treated and dried, and then painted. A small figure might take five hours to carve while a larger one can take days. On top of the base coat patterns of brush strokes, dots, and other designs are added, sometimes with the spine of the local maguey cactus. Every piece is uniquely created by hand and has its own character.

Jacobo is responsible for carving pieces and Maria, his wife, skillfully paints them. She includes Zapotec and other indigenous designs from southern Mexico.