If you are not having a great day, sitting at the Ajijic Cultural Plaza will cheer you up. It’s fun to get a snack or cool drink and just watch what goes by. There are the usual vendors who have a lot of exciting things and are always showing something new. People strolling, singing, children playing, and flowers and great foods are a staple.
And then there are the very unique
This man makes a drink called “tuba”. It’s a fermented coconut wine. To start with, he climbs to the top of a tall coconut tree and with his machete in hand he slices off a piece of the center growth (the pure sap of the tree) and transfers the liquid into a container. This liquid gold is the ingredient he needs to make his drink. He sets the stage for fermentation. He uses sugar, yeast and I’m sure other secrets. It is a short fermentation and is meant to be used quickly, compared to other wines.
He sells his drink from the “bule”. This one is colored red, most are yellow or tan.
I loved painting him because of his jolly personality. I don’t know if I captured his sweetness and joy but here he is if you would like to purchase a print.
These musicians can be heard in various venues around Ajijic. Their music is very pleasant and rich. I love the combination of instruments. They come in and do their thing while people enjoy, converse and eat. I noticed that generally people don’t seem to listen much…maybe that’s my personal opinion. But I loved the mix of instruments and above all, the way they communicate with each other; and that comes back to us, filling the room with music.
Listening to them reminded me of many nights going to little jazz clubs years ago in Los Angeles. It was so easy to drift into the music and lose your daily woes. It gave me the opportunity to get lost in the moment where music can allow you to raise your presence from your body to a higher level.
I am happy to say those memories are renewed here in Mexico.
So the original is SOLD and now in a new home in Jojotepec.
print available for purchase Jimmy loves her orchids, her garden, her life. Orchids to her are more of a life-style than a hobby. So when she invited me to her home to see them, of course I was eager. It was a treat. I wish I could remember all the names and things she told me about them, but I can’t.
There are three gardens. First there is the front garden which you see when you enter through the black metal gates. Then there is the orchid garden which is an enclosed patio from the house and lastly, there is the fruit orchard and flower bed garden at the back.
When you are walking through San Antonio, (an area in Ajijic) you see many sets of metal gates. You really can’t guess what lies behind them. There are homes and gardens of unimaginable intrigue and beauty. I love Mexico for all its surprises
Jimmy is a walking encyclopedia about orchids. It’s a full time job to keep everything watered and pruned and looking happy and pristine. I don’t know how she racks up the energy, walking with her cane, to do all of her daily chores to maintain this lifestyle.
Here is the beautiful orchid herself “Jimmy”. She told me there were no boys in the family and she was the last one, so they named her Jimmy after her father.
When you enter the house, you see a table, a mirror and a collection of hats that she makes. It’s a welcoming site.
She makes hats and knits for babies for charity and does much more.
My favoritething she told me was when she went to elementary school in a one-room school house. She always asked a lot of questions, to the annoyance of adults around her. One day a new teacher told her she could ask as many questions as she liked. She jumped for joy and went home saying, “My teacher said I could ask any questions I wanted.” She said it was the happiest day of her life. She still is an independent spirit.
I first met Conchita in August of 2017. I did not learn her name or who she was until I returned to Ajijic five months later. It was in a late August afternoon and the sun was getting very low in the sky. I was surprised to see her weaving at such a late hour and in such a remote place. She was near the lake but a little far from the malacon. I was just walking and sort of stumbled upon her. I didn’t expect to find such a treasure in such an isolated spot along the lake. She was outside the malacon and that area does not get much traffic except for horses and old men.
I later learned from people that this is her work station because of the two big trees nearby. She uses them to hang her weavings from and she also uses one of the trees to mount her loom on. That way she can lean back a little and get tension on the work. You can’t pass the shuttle through the warp and the weft unless there is tension on the loom.
At the time there was so many works displayed; not only hanging but in neat piles and piles or bags and purses and smaller ones, like small bags or pillows. I was puzzled at how she could store them at nightfall here and not worry about theft. I remember looking around and seeing nothing that could pass as a shelter. I could not understand how she could possibly store her work there before going home. I think I just assumed some family member or friend would come to pick her up. How wrong I was. The truth is she packs everything up and wheels it all home with a cart up a steep hill–without help.
I knew I wanted to know her and paint her. She has a tenacious spirit and she is probably the hardest working person I have met here. She is friendly, sweet, has a sense of humor and a humility that is usual for local artisans.
She is tiny, has sparkling eyes and her hands are strong. I came back several times to see her. The last time I was able to buy one of her big woven bags that I did not have the money for last summer. It was still there and we were able to extricate it from the bottom of one of her piles. I remembered the bag and the pattern. I use it every day and it’s perfect for my Spanish books.
Here is a link a friend just found for me about her from Ajijic News Calendar. I was excited to know that I had painted her before I read about her. Apparently lots of people know and love her. Read more about her story. I hope to keep you posted on her from time to time.
I know it’s just not me, but I believe there are people here in Ajijic who definitely make a difference. They make an impact on our daily lives. Being a newbie here, I can only comment on some of the ones who have impressed me enough to photograph and paint them. I like to call them “people landmarks” because when you talk about them to friends, they respond with “Oh yeah, I know him, or I’ve seen her.” Usually they are vendors who have a following and a great variety of merchandise they collect and sell, or they are artisans themselves.
They usually claim a street corner or familiar area where they’ve built their reputation. I know that my “orange juice guy” can be found in front of Guadalajara Pharmacy on the Carretera.
Dave is an artist–a sculptor. He wears more than one hat which many of us have to do, I’ve bought juice from him before and it is really good juice. He’s one of several people I have enjoyed photographing and painting in watercolor. He has a very friendly nature. He always has a big smile and love for conversation and a little pleasant joking. He takes great pride in what he does. He is always cutting, cleaning, organizing his booth and presenting his beautiful juice with an air of confidence and generosity. How could you not buy juice from him?
He certainly loves this juicer. I do too. It’s one of those tools that is really well built and functions without electricity or batteries. It’s durable, honest and trustworthy. It’s like his good oranges and clean knives and counter. I have never seen such a super sized juicer and watching him operate it is a pleasure. I can only imagine how excited he must have been when he bought it.
He plays it like a violinist plays his violin. Buen provecho.
Painting Mexico 
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