Hiking Back To Town

"Hiking Back To Town"

18" X 22" Oil on board

#20017417

The reference for this painting was after a hike through El Charco in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico taken on our way out. The sky was lit up and the house blended right into the coloured grasses, it was spectacular.

More holiday sketches in San Miguel de Allende

On November 11 I sat on a park bench sketching and thinking about what November 11 means to me...the pictures, documentaries and movies about the real people that have and are fighting in wars. Every family has been touched by war. I used water colour pencils and ink in this one.

These two sketches above were done after a hike through a small Mexican village. The goats were in a brick barn and were extending their necks to get a good look at us as we went by. One fellow hiker made a "baaa" sound and the goats all answered back. The second sketch is of a plant that was growing on the power lines and on trees all over the place. They looked like Christmas ornaments to me but by the shear numbers of them they must be very invasive.

We saw these two types of cactus after hiking around the "de un jardin botanico" called El Charco del Ingenio on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende. The gardens and multiple paths were beautiful as was the view of the city below.

El Charco 2

"El Charco 2"

En Plein Air, Oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

This is the second painting I did on this excursion with my painting partner Michelle. The light had changed and the water's colour changed from green to blue. I painted more of the vista and enjoyed the changing colours on the near hill and foreground cactus. 

...in progress

El Charco 1

"El Charco 1"

En Plein Air, 9" x 12" Oil on canvas paper

Jardin Botanico El Charco is a botanical garden on a hill whose springs supply the city with water and the site of the settlement originally founded by Franciscan friar Juan de San Miguel in 1542. Michelle, Gord and I hiked a long way around until we came to the main park buildings. Michelle and I found a spot in the shade to happily paint while Gord headed back. This was the first time I tried to do a painting on canvas paper and it was really different to work on. I really enjoyed the fall colours and the trees that were in the damned water. Michelle painted a beautiful water colour with a larger vista.