Really behind on my postings! These sketches are from a holiday trip to Mexico. Even though I was there for two weeks I only managed a few sketches as we were busy with a wedding, baptisms, troubadors, mariachis, baseball, picnics, dancing, you get the picture. Our family friends have a home in San Pedro in Puebla and this is part of the casita, little house, that is over 120 yrs. old. They use the courtyard to dry the corn.
In one of the rooms of the casita the corn with the husks are laid out to dry. When the husks are dry they are removed and saved for making tamales. Then the corn is moved out to the courtyard. The corn was yellow, red, blue and everything in between. Oh, did I mention they make their own tortillas...yum!
On Christmas day we all walked down to the local baseball field to watch a very loud game between the two rival teams of the town. Cachorros, Cachorros, Rha, rha, rha! Then we went into town and the big market day. Wow, is that ever an eye full. It was challenging to shop and sketch at the same time. Soon the bags became too heavy to try and sketch.
After all the "hub-bub" of the festivities we decided to have a picnic on the mountain. Their version of a picnic is 5 cars, 40 people, 2 bar-b-que grills, tables, chairs, and don't forget the gas generator for the two foot speaker. In Mexico, there must be music! I did manage to capture some of the beautiful wildflowers on paper.
We left Puebla and headed for Queretaro and the home town or I should say village of my son in law, Barrio Santa Maria. It was great to meet his family and spend a week with them. Once again I didn't manage to sketch very much but I was able to spend a little time around the courtyard trying to capture the whimsy of his mother's garden. All in all a fabulous trip. Can't wait to go again, soon I hope!
Robert Bateman 6" x 9" Sketchbook
Pen and Watercolor
