Spring Rolls 2012



 

This picture was based on one of the first lovely warm days in April even though a hint of winter remained in the cool air of mid afternoon in my newly adopted city of Victoria. There are many features of the city which for me are especially memorable. This particular scene seemed to capture all of the elements that make Victoria unique. The orange and coral colored bricks of the Victorian buildings, the cherry trees in blossom, as well as the Vespa motor scooter looking especially pristine in white. All of these colors contrasted with the shadows and deep indigo reflections mirrored in the glass of the store window imparted a magical and fleeting element to an otherwise ordinary street scene. The fact that nobody was within the camera frame left one feeling the area was deserted. Prehaps you the viewer have felt the same way at different times as you have gone about your way; a quick glimpse of a simple scene suddenly made perfect for all the reasons mentioned.

 

Welcome to Lands End, Roatan in Honduras. This painting was based on a recent trip to the Caribbean when I visited the town of Lands End on the island of Roatan, about 20 kilometres off the coast of Honduras. I enjoyed this town for many reasons. I found the architecture unique to the area. Clapboard buildings painted in bright colors. Every morning was like the start of a new adventure and every late afternoon was a continuation of the theme with happy hour at about 4 PM and beer was a $1 a bottle. The subject of this painting is a girl back-packing, for me she seems  to represent the excitement of traveling and seeing new cultures and new environments for the first time. I projected many ideas about her. It appeared she was from North America from the tags on her backpack; she seemed to be on a tight budget from the look of her worn out sandals and at this moment in time she seemed to be fully enjoying her day. Perhaps this is something we overlook, which is the joy of seeing new places and the sense of wonderment as we travel to exotic or everyday places...

Now to the truck in the picture.  It is iconic to this area in the sense that its the most popular vehicle; American-made pickup truck - inexpensive and reliable. 

The governor's mansion was most inviting!  This painting represents a portion of the former governor's mansion in San Sebastian, Mexico. San Sebastian is about 40 kilometre's inland from Puerto Vallarta. This small isolataed community is a window into the Mexico of 100 years ago. Silver mining here pre-dated the arrival of the Spanish. The mountain where the silver was located is easily viewable from the town square.

Many artifacts are still present in and around the mansion and date back to the 19th century and earlier. Someone oversees the day to day running of the mansion as it also functions as a hostel.

It was a pleasant suprise to find the original quality furnishings, ceramics and tiles in this very well preserved and isolated setting.  It was a most inspiring view made even more colorful with all the bouganvillea growing over the old brick walls.  I was attempting to draw the viewer into the picture with this particular view looking down the tiled portico towards the entry.  I have another painting from this particular visit, which I will post shortly.

The next time I was in this area was when I rode my motorcycle from Victoria BC to Panama City, Panama; but more about that later... 

A little more about me:  I began painting 8 years ago at age 57.  However, my introduction to art in general, and in particular pastel painting, began at age 5.  I would sit for hours and watch my father paint in pastels. My father was a commercial artist and we lived in Toronto at the time.

The attached painting is set in Punta Mita; about 45 minutes by bus north of Puerta Vallarta in Mexico. Punta Mita was a small fishing community and like other coastal communities of its size there were many local craft-sellers walking the beach. I was moved by the challenge this young girl faced every day trying to make a living. We were enjoying a cold beer while for her, it was simply another hard day at the office. We will never know her challenges but the beauty of the surroundings is there for all of us to enjoy...

In future posts, I will continue to offer insights as a traveller on each of my paintings, as well as their background.  As blogging can be an interactive medium, I welcome your comments. 

My attached painting and others will be available at my online store at ETSY. Watch for them!

Ken's introductory post - March 5th, 2012


Travel isn't just "the thing"; it’s the "only thing.”  My inspiration to paint comes from the desire to record visually the every day events that I stumble upon simply by virtue of being in the right place at the right moment. Wherever that location and moment happens to be.  It may be watching the landscape change from behind the windshield of my motorcycle as I ride through the western plains of Georgia O'Keeffe’s New Mexico’s landscape or perhaps experiencing the warming of an early morning sun rise.  Then again this passion for travel may be fueled by riding through scenery that evolves into a series of wind-carved arches on a rarely used trail somewhere in southern Utah.

Not that all the excitement of discovery is reserved or restricted to spectacular landscapes or beaches. Perhaps it is the excitement of the crowds out on the streets after the Moto GP race in Monterey or the frenzy of the locals and visitors welcoming the participants to an evening bivouac during one leg of the Dakar race as they pass through Castellon. It might even be the annual parade of carriages held in Seville to celebrate the arrival of spring.

As you view this site I sincerely hope something in my paintings will reminded you of a treasured moment. 
Thank you. Ken "sparky" MacKenzie