Latest Watercolor Painting

Some paintings take longer that usual and this watercolor painting that I completed recently has been on my drafting table for a good month or so.

When I was at Sanoviv, Mexico, I was drawn to the ice plants which cascade down the cliffs to the ocean. I liked the spots of bright red, pink, orange, and yellow of the flowers contrasted against the green and red of the plant.

In a crack of the stairs to the patio over looking the ocean was an escapee small plant with one bloom. As I painted my rendition of the plant and scene, it came to symbolize the concept of "alone" and drew me closer to my feelings of being Motherless. My father died about 13 years ago, but my mother died just recently. This watercolor painting went through several transformations as I have and will. And when finally completed, it makes a bold statement to the meaning of "alone."

Mayan Women in Isla Mujeres, Mexico

I just returned from a Women's Retreat at Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Isla Mujeres is an island just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Isla Mujeres is Spanish for the island of women.

Other than dodging the snow, hail, and rainstorms in Washington, what I really enjoyed was meeting the Mayan women. We visited with a group of Mayan women who have created a small beading collective. The women support themselves and their children from the beading collective sales. They sell their crafts in a tiny shop up island and in the town square during fiestas and holidays. The purchase of one small bracelet, handcrafted with traditional Mayan designs, provides the equivalent of three day’s wages for these women and their families. Most of the women are indigenous culture, and speak Mayan and Spanish. Their children and grandchildren help them with written Spanish. With the proceeds, life’s necessities are purchased, school tuition for their children paid, and the fee for them to study at a new English language school is possible.

Another Mayan woman, Hortensia, sewed whatever style clothing you desired from the beautiful fabric at her shop. She looked at you, took a few measurements with the fabric in hand, and the next day she had an outfit that fit perfectly.

And Cecilia, this colorful woman, carried her merchandise and sold to those on the beach.



What a treat it was to meet these lovely Mayan women and to support them with our purchasing of their art.

Another View

I just finished the third in the series of watercolor paintings from Mexico. I am planning another visit soon to Isla Mujeres.

There will be many in the Mexico watercolor series!

I was awe struck by the ice plants on the hillsides creeping into the sea. This time I was seeking a more impressionistic, spontaneous feel.

How did I do?



Definitely brighter and sunnier than the last one.

More Day Light to Create

That extra hour of daylight and the signs of spring sparked my creative juices today.  How about you? 

In between the desire to be outdoors in the sunshine, I began my second painting from the series of photographs which I took while in Mexico. I am mesmerized by the ice plant in bloom which grew profusely, cascading down the cliffs toward the ocean. There is something about the colors and movement?

Stay tuned as the next painting evolves..........

Inspired by Mexico

I was excited to get back to my studio since being in Mexico;
sooooooo many ideas floating around in my head to paint with watercolors!

First off, to capture the feel of the sunset on my last evening. I call the painting "A Gift" as that is truly what the sunset was for me on my very last day of an incredible week at Sanoviv. I was absolutely spellbound watching the colors spread across the sky and change in intensity. It took will-power to pull back from the view long enough to capture a few photographs knowing full well that they would only be a snapshot of the moment and not the full experience which was beyond AWESOME!

I am waiting to hear back from friends who also watched as if in a trance from their balcony that evening, too.

I asked, "Did I captured the mood or not?"

Here is the sunset painted in watercolors; A GIFT



For most of you who were not present (ha,ha pun!), how does it make you feel?

My Parting Gift Sunset

The sunsets on the West Coast are spectacular!

I was on the balcony of our hotel suite at Sanoviv in Rosarita, Mexico with my girlfriend one evening watching the sunset.

She made the comment,"They are all pretty much the same," and went inside.

"Huh?" I said.

Had she been with me the last night of my stay, she might have taken back her words. I was visually and spiritually gifted by this parting sunset in Mexico. My attempt to capture the visual spectacle in photographs follows.

First, visualize these first two pictures side by side to get an idea of the full color display in the sky..........






The brightest spot as the sun set.........





And finale.......





May you get an inkling of the beauty of my parting gift sunset.

NO WAY are all sunsets the same!