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The above watercolor was done in two sittings at the central plaza of Parque Mexico,. An amazing hangout place, with Dogs, boxing sparrers, hiphop dancers, kids playing soccer, roller skaters, couple dancing lessons, yoga, handstands, Giacomo reading and me painting… All happening at the same time in and around the large ciruclar space surrounded by a colonade of magenta bougainvillea vines. Such good vibes.

My scale is a bit off with the painting… the guy with the blue shirt is mighty tiny. I could stick it in photoshop and correct the proportions….but let’s just call it part of this piece’s charm.

Watercolor: So tricky. Not really faster than oils for me, but one way or another I will get the hang of it, as it is all I have with me on this trip.

MURALS

One of my reasons for coming to Mexico City was to see the murals of Diego Rivera, but the city was so interesting where ever I went, I didn’t wind up seeing any. Next time!

Luckily, there are plently of murals scattered about the city. Here are a few samples:

Pictured below are some impressive frescos in the Castillo de Chapultepec about the Mexican Revolution and the first Democratic election held in Mexico around 1911, which was won by Revolutionary leader Francisco Modero (he was assassinated two years later). The artist was Juan O’Gorman, and the frescos were completed in 1968.

“Fresco” means “fresh” in Italian and is a form of mural painting in which earth pigments are painted directly on fresh, wet, lime plaster. As the plaster dries, a chemical process bonds the pigment and plaster together. Frescos can last a long time! Basically as long as the plaster lasts. Longer than anything I have ever painted.

What I appreciate about the paintings are not only the satisfying internal composition, satisfying detail and nice colors, but the visual narrative that is being told. I did this with the mural that I did in Poulsbo, WA, telling the story of the Cod Fishing Schooners. It is a very satisfying form. The artist is there to tell a story, not just express themselves. Art in service of history. Images have a radiant impact. They make the story more real. Their permance is a legacy.