Series: On the west coast of Mexico, the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta's beachwalk, thrives at sunset. This series is about the color of the light and dramatic shadows that are cast across the esplanade as the day comes to a close.
The place: If you've ever been to Puerto Vallarta, or for that matter anywhere that faces west, you know that sunset time is sacred. Time and shadows seem to slow and stretch, creating scenes amplified by linear rhythm, almost to a point of abstraction. The perspective on these pieces was complex and playful. More than the two points of standard perspective, the linear shadows demand another vanishing point of their own, the sun. The sun brings its own set of demands as well which show through in the color of the shadows. Notice that they are full of warmth; bright reds and yellows somehow manage to pass as shadows fading into purple and blue.
Artist's Perspective: this series is unique in that I began it prior to having visited the place. Kids, work, budget and the regular rhythms of life had fought hard against a week-long international trip for years, but we finally committed to extended vacation at all costs. We pulled out the stops, asked favors, turned off email, enlisted grandparents, sold the dog (not true, but anyone want a beagle) and decided to go for it. In order to really milk the much anticipated vacation I decided to start painting it before, sketch during, and finish up after.
If you've ever created art, or written a long letter, you know that the time you spend doing that, focusing on it, trying to make a connection, endears you to that person or place. Painting Puerto Vallarta in the future, present, and past enriched my connections to the place both as an artist and a person. I hope it shows through in this series.
