Thursday, August 21, 2014

Endlessly Enchanting San Miguel de Allende





After visiting San Miguel de Allende, it is easy to see why this charming colonial town has attracted artists, actors and writers since the 1930's.   The town is noted for its street scapes with narrow cobblestone lanes, that rise and fall over the hilly terrain. A thousand rustic doors open to a thousand well tended courtyards with rich architectural details, facades of ocher, orange and yellow, many with colorful bougainvilleas spilling over.   Its cultural and artistic reputation has brought many people from Mexico and abroad to live here.  In fact, San Miguel has one of the largest American communities in Mexico.
 Although it is still small and rural, it has a wide variety of upscale and ethnic restaurants, roof top bars, specialty shops and art galleries.  With it's temperate climate, it attracts Canadians in the winter escaping the cold and Texans in the summer escaping the heat.  On our recent trip in July, we found the weather a delightful escape from the Arizona heat with temperatures in the 70's and afternoon thunderstorms.



Some typical street scenes





























On the day we arrived we were greeted by a parade of mariaches, dancing giant puppets and a little donkey dispensing tequila.  This all ended up in the historic center of town with much revelry, dancing and well, a lot of very happy people.





The tequila dispensing donkey




After the throngs had left
On a quite Sunday morning, I set up my gear to do some plein air painting.  Little did I know the road I chose was also one of the main thoroughfares to the cathedral.  Soon the road was crowed with thousands of locals making their Sunday walk from the outskirts of town to Sunday mass.  Not only did they walk by on the way TO church, but again in about an hour on the way BACK.  Usually in plein air painting you are seeking solitude.  There was also evidently more than one mass.  That morning I became the most popular, photographed person in all of San Miguel!  The painting was not my best effort, but the locals really seemed to like it.  I was a little distracted.


My new friend and his donkey selling rides Sunday morning

Our view from the "La Vista Suite"


There are many wonderful options for accommodations in San Miguel.  One is the highly promoted Rosewood Inn.  I would recommend taking advantage of one of the many bed and breakfasts or boutique hotels.  We stayed at a bed and breakfast that was about a 5 min walk into the historic center, Casa de la Noche.  Originally one of San Miguel’s oldest houses of ill repute, Casa de la Noche had its beginning as a bordello run by an infamous Turkish madam. It’s now a pretty guesthouse and gallery owned by Barbara Poole, a California painter and now a resident of San Miguel de Allende.  I had discovered this place from reading about a workshop that Richard McKinley will be having in January.  While being reasonably priced, my husband and I were very pleased with our "La Vista" suite.  It was very comfortable, with a little kitchen and a scenic rooftop patio.  Barbara the owner was nice enough to show me around and offered to let me use her very large, well lit studio if I'd like to.  She also has offered the use of her Bordello Galaria to host a show of my own, which I would love to do one day.  We will definitely be back as there is much more for us to discover.  We are now attempting to learn more Spanish and planning our return!


A plein air still life from our patio
a few technical adjustments needed in the studio


Doorways of San Miguel de Allende









Getting There


From Phoenix, Mexico City is a short flight on US Airways.  My husband and I rented a car in Mexico City and drove, which I do NOT recommend.  While the 4 hour drive was very pleasant, driving in Mexico City is hideous, to say the least.  You must have nerves of steel and be happy to not be moving most of the time.  It took 45 min to get through a stop light at one point.  The bus from the airport was highly recommended as very clean and comfy showing movies, they probably don't go through that intersection!  There are also other airports closer to San Miguel, or you can hire a private transport, but I have not explored these options yet.




Monday, August 4, 2014

Road Trip Home


After braving the 119 degree temps on my drive to San Diego, the ocean was a welcome relief.  I decided to stay in La Jolla because it is beautiful, a short drive to the San Diego Museum of Art and most of San Diego was filled up with people visiting Comic con.


Sunset and surf at La Jolla Cove


La Jolla Cove

On my way up the coast the next day, I was able to join in with the Laguna Plein Air Painters for their mentor paint-out with Jeff Horn.  We met in Laguna Beach just below the beautiful Montage Resort at Treasure Island Park.  This gem used to be a trailer park before the Montage built an exclusive 5 star resort, but the beach is readily accessible, if you are in the know.  Treasure Island Park got its name from the movie Treasure Island, filmed here in 1934.  When it was still a trailer park, the movie "The Long Long Trailer" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez was also filmed here.  Along the cliffs in front of the restaurant are two looming palm trees commemorating Lucy and Dezi.




Key hole at Treasure Island Beach


Plein Air painting


Signature artist Jeff Horn doing a demo for the group


After spending a few days in cool Cali, it was time to head home through the blazing hot desert.  As I was headed home,  my car veered off to the right when I saw the sign for Joshua Tree National Park.  I'd never been to the Park but have applied for an Artist in Residence there, so I was anxious to check it out.  Joshua trees are crazy looking trees, like something Dr Seuss  would think up.








It takes a couple of hours to drive the entire length of the park.  Towards the end of the drive is an area called Cholla Gardens.  I'm not particularly fond of cholla as they are a nasty cactus, but seeing acres of them was pretty cool.




Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Sorolla Exhibit



I was so excited to learn that Spanish Impressionist, Joquin Sorolla's (1863-1923) work entitled "Sorolla and America" was coming to the San Diego Museum of Art.  He is most famous for his light filled paintings of children playing on the beach, frequently working in plein air.  He was very popular around the turn of the century, mounting two shows in the US the first in 1909 at the Hispanic Society of America in New York.  During this time he gained the respect of many American artists and the admiration of important patrons, many who commissioned portraits including Louis Comfort Tiffany and President Taft.   This collection was drawn from many public and private collections and are among the finest Sorolla ever created.  More than a hundred of them are being shown in public for the first time in over a century. The exhibit ends August 26.

Sorolla and America at the San Diego Museum of Art


Louis Comfort Tiffany 1911


Miss Lillian Duke
(as in Duke University)


Beach of Valencia by Morning Light
1908

As I spent my day at the museum I found sketching a great way to study the work and spend some time with each piece