Goodbye Guatape'

“Plaza Guatape’ “ Sepia pencil, watercolor and ink on 9x12 300# paper.

I am back in Medellin for two days before heading back to Seattle, and I haven’t even left the funky loft AirBnB that I am in because i wanted to finish this watercolor.

Guatape was fantastic. I can’t say enough about it. The mountains, the weather, the clouds, the art, the people, the community…..the food is…meh, but Colombian traditional food in general is kinda bland. (Mexico is a standout in terms of culinary zip.)

It’s odd being back in the city. Just not my vibe. I liked the European cities that I visited. But here in Medellin, it is a bit more edgy. People rave about it, but I never hit my stride here. I like a more relaxed atmosphere. I suppose that’s why I live on Vashon.

Zocolos

I wanted to show you more Zocolo designs, which adorn many of the buildings in Guatape. It is a very charming tradtion. The zocolos are not just paintings, but sculpted in relief first. This is an interesting point. You can see various levels of skill are employed, but the crucial point is just that it is done.

. Here I took a pic of the mural on the Arts School as I was leaving Guatape. I grew to love the walk from the center of town along this back street. More of a regular neighborhood, with an increidble view of the Penol rock and lake and lush plants.

Nando & Caroline

I met this charming Colombian couple who were staying right below me. They had traveled through Europe for three years, working as they went. They plan on traveling extensively again. Nando has a tattoo of a world map circumnavigating his right bicep. There’s a commitment to travel. If I were going to get a tattoo….that would be a good one.

It’s nice meeting young people that give you faith in the future. Well most young people give me faith in the future, but it is great to see a couple living their dream.

Now it is time for me to venture out before the day is done! (Sun sets at 6:30pm here)

Below is a drawing that I started in Guatape. Tomorrow is my day to finish it. There are so many more paintings that I want to do!

And going outside now….I’ll see more paintings that I want to do.