From fish market in Portimao

Lavendar fields at Les Baux and les Alpilles

Watercolor-like treatment for this painting during our stay at Nancy Gale's
house in San Remy de Provence, an hour or so over the mountains.

More Macetas

Looking down the stairs from our "casita" in San Miguel to the pots
at the corner of the swimming pool.  The lion on the left looks dangerous.

San Miguel Painting

Here are a couple of photos of my first effort, my "obra de arte"..a grand, black stallion against the colorful San Miguel walls.  Basically, it came about after trying to find a large painting for the wall in our bedroom.  There are many art galleries in San Miguel, full of beautiful works; but it made me think, "why can't I do my own"?  Our roof terrase was a potentially great studio.  All I needed were two pieces of string to hang the canvas on the wall, some acrylic paints and a brush...well, maybe a few other things as well.

It is from a photo that I found in a coffee table book.  Done in acrylic paint in three days, including the hanging of it on our bedroom wall.  I have to say I'm pleased with it. 

Some Photos of Casa Wheeler in San Miguel

Early charcoal drawing from live figure class at the Bellas Artes

This was an interesting collaboration with a friend in which we each had two minutes to complete a drawing of the model.  Then we switched drawings and had another minute to overdraw on the other person's work. We did this two more times, resulting in six images that each were the product of two artists.

This drawing is on brown wrapping paper and still survives in our "casita".  It is more dynamic and dramatic than if it were just my work alone.

Early Paintings from San Miguel

My second painting, after the black stallion, was an abstract of the blue agave cactus that is such an iconic part of the Mexican landscape, particularly in the state of Jalisco where all "tequila" comes from.  It was an easy composition and simple to paint using the vibrant colors that we see everywhere in San Miguel.  This painting hangs in our "outdoor" living room" from which we can see and be part of the garden.

Agave painting displayed




I do like the texture, color and radiance of these "macetas".  It proves that much of art is an accident, sometimes favorable as in this case.  Just experiment by putting on and rubbing off the acrylic paint to find a satisfactory surface.

 

More Paintings from San Miguel





"Agave azul por la piscina"

  

Desfile de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead)

Stained glass peacock (not my work, but my feet)

A fanciful kitchen

Casas nuevas en la prolongacion de Aldama

Three portraits from San Miguel

The first is a pair of the "mojigangas", larger than life papermache figures, that lead the important parades in town; the second is the same innocent priest mojiganga, Padre Hidalgo, one of the heros of the Mexican Independence, suddenly confronted by Venus rising from her Sea Shell.  This is a Wheeler-Botticelli collaboration.  The third is our sweet little Maya, Justin and Ana's daughter.  I don't think you'll have any difficulty recognizing her.  In a way, except for charcoal figure drawing, these are my first real attempts at portraiture with paint.