Waiting For A Sale

While in Bolivia, our mission group had the weekend off, and a group of us went to Tarabuco to visit during during their community market.  Many locals were on the street looking to sell their beautiful textiles.  I loved the photo I took of this man in the sketch above because you could tell he was in deep contemplation.  I'm sure he was thinking about selling.his wares. I did a quick watercolor sketch of him as a reminder.


A favorite textile that I was introduced to by these indigenous people were the Jalq'a aqsu design textile. The Jalq'a are an Andean indigenous society that make a unique textile in a red and black design. The textiles usually depict khurus, invincible savage beasts, of various shapes and sizes, that are woven of wool and alpaca in red onto a black background .  Legend describes this as the dominion of an underworld deity known as the Saxra.

                                              Here is an example of these beautiful textiles.
                I was able to purchase a small vertical piece that is now hanging in our home.

Now back in the US, I have used my artistic license to combine several photos to create this painting showing the man and the beautiful items he has for sale.

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ENJOY!!

Rainy Walk

While in Bolivia on a mission, I spent a day helping with a construction project.  Our task was to build a room on to a mud brick home shown above. Because the locals can get a parasite that lives in the mud bricks, it's essential for them to have a safe place to sleep and the single mother of 4 that we were helping, desperately wanted this room for her children.  These people get by with cooking outdoors and their only source of water is collected in a barrel.

While we were working, it began to rain again, and we soon had to leave or face being stuck on the muddy rutted roads.  As we were driving back to town, I spotted some women walking in the rain.  They don't let rain stop them, they can't, they have no choice.  When I got back to our hotel that evening,  I painted this small watercolor sketch.

                                    This is one of the women as she walked in the rain. 
              Now that I'm back,  I turned this sketch into a painting including the other woman.

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Here is the finished painting...I hope I have captured the dreary day and the attempt of the women to keep dry. 

ENJOY!!

Market Day I - Tarabuco, Bolivia

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I recently spent two weeks on a mission trip to Bolivia. While there, I spent a lot of time working among the native people and getting to know their traditions. They are hard working, lovely people. This painting shows a Bolivian women in her traditional dress walking home from the market. She carries most of her purchases in her shawl, along with her child.

 The women from this particular region of Bolivia all wear fedora hats everywhere they go.  They wear sandals with leggings in the colder weather along with a pleated skirt.  They usually wear a full length apron over it with a sweater.  They top off their ensemble with a colorful shawl which they use to carry their belongings and small children. These women are everywhere, and they are a joy to watch as they go about their lives.

ENJOY!!