Reconnecting to My Artist Self

Firstly, I reckon it's time to write about what's going on with me because several people have contacted me asking when my next blog post is coming out.

Secondly, this time I'm going to write mostly about me instead of Robert or my guests. I have had many guests, and I am so grateful for them. Besides being supportive it is really fun to have people around, especially when they end up falling in love with where I live.

The water-colour painting above was the image used to advertise me as the featured speaker for the September meeting of ASA, Ajijic Society of the Arts. I went to the July meeting just to get acquainted with artists in the area, and ended up getting volunteered, by the only person I knew there, to give the program for September. I chose to speak about sketching because it's so easy for me to talk about the joys of sketching. I took sketchbooks, showed my supplies, talked about how I approach sketching, and did my best to inspire a few people to join me in going out regularly to sketch. I had fun, and I believe the audience had a good time as well. 6 people signed up to go sketching.

Knowing that I was going to give a little talk encouraged me to get my Mexico sketchbook going. As it turned out, almost all the sketches in my book are about my immediate environs, my house and the magnificent garden that surrounds it. 

This is the front entrance to my home here in Chapala. I used a brush pen and water-colour for this sketch. The following sketches are all of my house or the garden:

In the mercado a few blocks away I can buy large bouquets of flowers for very few pesos. I like to keep fresh flowers in my house. The house I rent is furnished and has some very lovely pieces, like the one above. My windows are open most of the time, and my views of the garden always delight me.

The drawing on the left is of a clay dog I bought to fill my otherwise blank fireplace. More lovely furniture and another view from an open window.

The garden here is filled with both tropical, exotic (to me anyway) plants, as well as very familiar plants like roses and daisies. Besides the main gardens I have a little private patio off my kitchen. I drew the exotic hanging plants in the garden. The little chair and potted bougainvillaea are on my private patio.

There are more pages in my book....but I don't want to over-do it. What is important about this is that I am getting familiar enough with where I live that I am past survival mode and can attend to things I simply want to do. I pretty much know my way around the Lakeside Area, know how and where to get busses or cabs. I know how to make phone calls. I have somewhat a routine for visiting Robert and have full confidence in the staff at La Casa Nostra to care for him. I have hooked up my ROKU and my Vonage line, and know where to get food and how to handle it for the sake of health. I also have some favourite restaurants (the list grows all the time) and just found out that many of them deliver. In just over 4 months I have turned my stove on just a handful of times. I have a Spanish teacher just two blocks away, right across from the levanderia where I take my dirty clothes to be washed, dried and folded for very few pesos. It is my goal to sketch, walk, and study Spanish 1/2 hour every day. If I get 2 of the 3 done I call it a good day. It shouldn't be so hard, should it? I have a maid who comes once a week to clean my house. Life here is comfortable and relatively easy for me. As I have mentioned before people can live very well here for a fraction of the cost in the U.S.  I do not own a car here. My biggest concern is Robert who is losing his short term memory pretty fast, calls me many times a day, cannot walk, and feels people are stealing from him and trying to make him crazy. Unfortunately those are common symptoms of his horrible disease. 

The real clue that I am settling in and not spending most of my time trying to figure out how to do things and where to get things and other practical matters, is that I started an oil painting a couple of days ago. There is a fabulous building on my street that is painted many wonderful colours and has many fabulous shapes. I have taken dozens of photos of that building from every angle and in many different times of day. I have enough material to keep me painting for a very long time....all from that one building. Here is the painting I have started. I'll try to remember to post it when it is finished.

I have changed it quite a bit already.....but this is my start.

For at least 20 years I have had a studio of one kind or another where I could paint, make messes, and leave the messes til I'm in a mood to clean them up. Here I don't have a studio. Not yet anyway. I am painting in my kitchen, and having to clean everything up after each session. Life is tough, right? 

I have enough of a social life to keep me happy. I feel so totally attached to my friends in Seattle and Whidbey and keep in such close touch that I really don't have a moment to feel lonely. I have a few friends and acquaintances here, so I go out to dinner or for a swim often enough and it is comforting to know there are people I can spend time with. Also, as I mentioned, plenty of friends and family from Seattle and Whidbey are finding their way here. Tomorrow my sons and their mates are coming for a week and I'm very excited to show them my new home and way of life. 

So things are going well for me here in Chapala. I am surprised at how at home, rooted, and safe I feel here. I landed in just the right spot for me and for Robert. 

Here's a bonus picture. This is a friend I met in a grocery store when I first moved here. She, Laney, and her husband, Jack, are becoming good friends. They invited me to a party at The Racquet Club where they live to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. We were to dress as Senoras. Laney was occupied with some health issues and didn't have time to go shopping for señora clothes. I went to the malecon a block from my house, where there are many tiendas filled with clothing and souvenirs, and bought us these rather fetching duds. We had a grand time dancing to live music playing latin music as well as gringo oldies. There was a flag ceremony with many Viva Mexicos shouted out and much singing. Then we had mariachis. Of course there was plenty of wine, beer and tequila on every table as well as delicious Mexican food. I guess I'm definitely past the stage of just figuring out how to survive here. 

Laney and Me. Ole!