Sunday Sketches

Still focusing on the subject of trees...

Again here is the Lucuma tree in the background with the Nuqchu flower at its base. This is fuchsia-like flower which blooms year round in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

The Nuqchu is the main plant of the Earth Garden at Willa T'kia. Carol relates that the cascades of flowers portray abundance, not just material abundance but also love. Their powerful spirit is believed to bring love to the base chakra. You can find out more about native flowers of Peru and Carol's chakra gardens in her book, Chakra Gardens.

First painting is a watercolor and ink sketch.


This painting is an oil on 12" X 12" canvas.

THIRTY Completed!

Yes, I did it!

I completed the 30 Day Art Challenge!!! Five days early which will give the last few paintings a chance to dry. Need I say, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE?!?!

Now, to catch you up on the last several paintings......

This is one of the Quechua girls at the school we visited in the Sacred Valley. Did I mention the school was at 14,000 feet? Our escorted walk up the hill to the schoolyard found us breathing heavily. We had to chewed on coca leaves to revive.


This Quechua girl was with her mother selling beautiful handmade items by the side of the highway as we entered into the Sacred Valley.


Here I am looking out at the incredible vistas from the trek to the Temple of the Gods in Pisac.

Sunday Sketches

I am still engrossed with images and paintings of my experience in Peru.....it is almost like being there!

At the end of my adventures in the Sacred Valley, I flew to Puerto Maldanado where I embarked on a boat down a tributary of the Amazon River to EcoAmazonia Lodge. The lodge is nestled on 10,000 acres of wildlife preserve which I explored with a small group lead by a native Peruvian guide. The rain forest is awesome!

I have a passion for the bird of paradise flower. The huge species found in the rain forest is gorgeous! This batch of birds lived outside my little bungalow which was home for four days. I made time between hikes and viewing wildlife to create a sketch of the Amazon bird of paradise.

Challenge

I believe I could have this 30 Day Art Challenge completed tomorrow which is SEVEN days early! It has been an amazing journey and a great lesson in motivation. Where will this experience take me next?

This painting is of a bowl of wool which we watched dyed and spun at the school we visited in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The wool is now ready for weaving. It was amazing to see the fabulous creations by the young girls. Our group of women bought everything they made.



Next week I will post the rest of the 30 paintings and tell you more about the art show in Seattle where they will be hung.

Pattern Broken

Although I painted two pictures today, I did not finish the second one which breaks my pattern this week of painting two pictures a day.

I must admit, I did take a fabulous walk with my dog in the SUNSHINE!!!

I also spent several hours on my first painting creating the details of the textiles warn by the Peruvian people. Because the oil painting is still wet, I did not photograph it to share. But here are some of the others that are drying.

The first one is of a Peruvian woman and her child who we met when stopping for a Kodak moment while going over the mountains into the Sacred Valley. You find Peruvians selling beautiful items at various stops along the roads as well as in the towns.


This painting is of a Peruvian woman weaving.



I am starting to rethink entering my paintings in the 30 Day Art Challenge. Because of the time I am spending on each painting and the final product, I am considering doing my own Peru art show.

Sunday Sketches

I just returned from incredible adventures in Peru and managed to create a few sketches along the way.

I spent several days at Willka T'ika Guesthouse in the Sacred Valley which is a charming and lovely place full of beautiful gardens, fabulous vegetarian food which was grown there, and filled with 18 wonderful women to share experiences.

I became very fond of the thousand-year-old Lucuma tree which called Carol, the inspiration behind Willka T'ika, to this piece of land for the setting of the guesthouse. As she explains, "In the crown chakra garden, a thousand-year-old lucuma tree connects guests to the energy and wisdom of the ancient Inkan civilization. The grassy area beneath the lucuma tree is a perfect place for meditation." The tree has these wonderful, bulbous appendices of bark. One evening for desert we were treated to a wonderful dish with the lucuma fruit......yum!

Here I am painting the first sketch of the Lucuma tree.


This is the first sketch.


I had to get closer to really capture the bark.


Here is that rendition of the Lucuma Tree.


And here is the beautiful tree.



I will be painting more of this tree!

Peru Adventures

I did it!

Yes, I spend time at Machu Picchu, traveled the Amazon River and explored the rain forest, as well as many other Peruvian adventures.

The first two days I was in Cuzco getting acclimated with the help of altitude medication and coca leaves. The colors and people were amazing. Gabriella, our guide, was a delight with her knowledge of the area and sense of spirituality and sacred space. Along with several other like-minded women, I spent a week at Willka T'ika in the Sacred Valley near the Urubamba River. The gardens and food were fabulous! We took day trips to sacred grounds, Inca ruins, and a local school which was at an elevation of 14,000 feet.

Along with a reverence for Pachamama (mother earth), Peruvians live the word, ayni where all beings are recognized and appreciated for the good of all. Peru is a joyous place filled with love and colors.

I did find a little time to sketch and paint, but will rely on photos from friends to share. This month I am participating in an art challenge where I will create 30 paintings which will become a part of an art show in Seattle. I have decided to paint images from Peru and at the present time have finished four paintings.

Stay tuned.......