I have ignored you, my journal, for many months. As I walk my path of life I look towards so
many paths that I often spin around and cease to become grounded in one
direction. It is my soul to take small
bites of life, but what is often needed is to take one big hunk and chew on it
for awhile. Today my artist friend,
Erin, inspired me to write again. We are
kindred in the fact that we know writing takes us through journey’s that are
difficult, as well as those that are smooth. So, without hesitation, I take pen
to hand.
MEXICO:
Mexico is such a conundrum for me. I have highs so high that I lose my breath,
but often times of longing for home, creature comforts, my family and friends.
I plunder forth and ride with the spirit and try to move with the flow of life
here. Sights and sounds mix together to create energy and excitement, and the
philosophy of just being happy. “Relax….have fun, they say.” I have a friend here that often says she is
living in paradise. I often ride on her
optimism. Mazatlan is not the easiest place to get to so travel back and forth
to visit home is pretty much out of the question. So you ride the tide of emotions of being
away, and know, that as it gets closer to returning home, you will conjure up
all new emotions on having to leave!!!
Yes, it is a conundrum….
So, having said all this, why do I return year after year?
Dance to the beat.
Is it the tequila
that makes me dance in the Plazuela Machado with a young vendor whose feet
can’t stop tapping to the beat of the music being played in the El Centro
Pagoda, or dance around the square one night like Isadora Duncan with her
famous scarf, or dance down the beach to the Banda’s, or is it just the air in
Mexico that seeps into your soul and grabs the spirit? I dance so free
here. Who cares who sees you or what
they think about you. I just let it go
and the happy spirit that I receive back with smiles and laughter only enhances
that experience.
Color
There is something in the light of the Sun that makes the
vivid colors of the earth bloom with brilliance in Mexico. I dare count the
number of times that I have stuffed my suitcase with pillow covers, rugs,
pottery and all manner of decorative items that sing here and kind of fall flat
in the Northwest light. I never give up
though for the colors make me smile with delight. I walk through old town seeking out colors
and taking pictures so that I can transform those colors into works of art in
the hopes that I capture just a taste of the beauty back home in my studio. Terracotta, Gold, Emerald Green, Cobalt Blue,
and clear Red all blend in a symphony as they play on tiles, fabrics and
pottery to sing their happy song of harmony.
This is not the monochromatic feel of serenity, but the jolly dance of
color!
Homes
Last week was the annual home tour, and although the modern
homes were lovely, it is the homes in El Centro that speak the language of
Mexico. Tattered walls of stucco and
brick; sidewalks that undulate to the force of tree roots; solid doors that
take two people to open; behind all this you will find vista’s of such beauty
that it takes your breath away. How
magical to open the door and walk into a paradise. I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland……what
lies beyond. Lush plants weave around
atriums anchored by tile that beckon you forth to explore. The Hacienda style is my favorite for room
after room of color and style spin around like a carousel until you almost
become dizzy with the tactile and visual senses. I have been fortunate to enter many of these
homes throughout Mexico. They not only
speak the language of Mexico, but they portray the personality of the
inhabitants. Nationals and ex-pats have taken ruins, literally, and pulled them
up from the dirt and gnarly vines to visions of beauty. I can’t even imagine the fortitude for such
an adventure.
My time to leave is creeping up on me, but I have one more
favorite escapade before I leave.
Tomorrow is the annual Art Walk.
More homes to explore, more walls to take shots of and some beautiful
art to admire and possibly squirrel away in the suitcase.
Hasta la vista
