Back to Traditional Watercolors Page

While working as a Sr. Systems Analyst for a global labeling company, I had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala. I mentioned to my hosts that I wanted a chance to get some photos to later use for reference material in painting. They asked what kind of subject mater I was interested in and I suggested that they view my website. The next day they excitedly told me that the obvious choice was to take me to visit the old city of Antigua, Guatemala which is located at the base of Mount Agua ("Volcán de Agua" meaning "Volcano of Water").

The city was gorgeous with interesting architecture, colors in paint and stone mixing with floral and vine. I took about 15 rolls of film (I didn't have my digital camera yet) and my business co-worker guide, Hugo, seemed strangely amused that I would take so many different angles of the same scene.

As we headed down one street I decided to look back at the church (San Francisco) we had just been photographing and as a turned around I saw this wonderful, character filled draw cart. It was leaning due to a broken axle, I believe, and the resulting angle of its inclined decking and the sidewalk was full of energy and motion. I knelt down to accentuate the perspective and knew I had an image I was really going to enjoy painting.