My trip to Nicaragua – Art

Here’s some of the art I ended up doing during the trip:

The instructors of Taller Artistico Xuchialt did a painting class with us. They were teaching the traditional methods and techniques (see example below), but I had done this on my last trip so I kind of “went off the farm.” I used a much looser technique and, as subject matter, I chose not go with something “less pretty.” I was really “inspired” by Monte Horet, a very poor section of Leon where the homes are built out of corrugated metal, cardboard, and other discarded materials.

Example of traditional landscape painting (not done by me)

We were in Monte Horet to help building solar ovens (click here for info on the program) and, at one point, I took a walk to do some sketching. I was fascinated with the construction of the homes (and have mixed feelings about it) and really didn’t want anyone to see me drawing. To do this, I’d stand one-house-down from the house I was drawing. The first time I attempted this I had dogs come out to bark at me, then their master, an old man, came out to talk to me. He was very friendly, smiling, shaking my hand and all. I don’t speak Spanish so I just smiled a lot. I walked down a few doors to try again and a little chicken came out to bark at me. (That’s right – a chicken.) Then the chicken’s master, a little girl came, out and carried it away like a baby in her arms.

 

"Pio pio" is "cheep cheep" in Spanish

 

Then the girl came out with her puppy and held it like a baby for me to draw both her and her pooch. As I was finishing her mother (or grandmother, I couldn’t tell) came out, thanking me for drawing the girl. I handed her the drawing and she insisted that I sign it.

 

I then walked down the road a bit and, breaking my own rule, stood in front of the above home while drawing it. Then the little girl came up, crossed the yard, went into the the house and came out with her friend, another little girl. The first girl gave the second her puppy and I drew her too.

Don’t have a story for this drawing – it’s just a drawing done at Poneloya Beach when I got encrusted with sand. (Here’s a photo of the spectacular sunset from that day.)