Art is Transformative

March 9, 2014

Incredible How Art Can Change the World

It is incredible how art can change the world, our way of living, to paraphrase from an article in the A la Carta magazine.  This article on the gastronomy of San Geronimo was published a year ago, but the perspective on the way this humble, unassuming neighborhood has captured the hearts of many and given me a raison d'etre in Asuncion explains best how art can have a powerful impact on the way we see the world.  Art uplifts.  Art inspires.  Art transforms.  It is about more than just a bit of paint. 

Work begins on the community mural project.

I have been working off and on as many know in this neighborhood, and as my Spanish improves, I can have more fluent conversations with Ruth, the 'mother' of this neighborhood project.  She has shared with me her insights into the ways  the people and especially the children have reacted to the transformation of their neighborhood.  She recently shared with me the newspaper articles and magazines from the project's inception in 2009 up to present.  She has been in the papers a lot!  She has done so much for her people and the fruits of her labor are paying off!

Ruth Sanchez, community hero of San Jeronimo.  Here she is preparing her Cocido Literario, with the traditional cocido, or tea and mbjeu, traditional snack food with manioca flour.

I share in this post how the young people came out today to continue the efforts started by the municipalities, the 'mothers', the architects, and all those in favor of awakening the artists and dreamers in all of us.  With art comes hope for a better way of life. 

Close-ups

Art of Recycling

Oct 26 2014

The Art of Recycling:

A new post has been loooong overdue. My computer is out of commission so typing on this tablet must suffice for now. 

After a few months hiatus from creating in San Jerónimo, I am back and crafting away with a lovely group of people, including Ruth. We are preparing repurposed and up-cycled items for a mini showcase in the neighborhood. Production on Christmas regalia is also in full swing.  Photos forthcoming.

Crafting in the 'oratorio', church- cum community space.

I should back up a little to share about my encounter with a wonderful friend, who spent the past year working with the children in Cateura, a neighborhood known as the landfill section of town, and also known for the Landfill Harmonic. Along side the music practice, she encouraged children to create.  Her work with the recyclables and they way she was transforming the children's' notions of what could be done with trash was incredible. It was not so important that they were churning out masterpieces, but rather gaining the human connection and attention that was so lacking in their life. Yes, the skills to see potential in otherwise useless waste, should not go unnoted.

My friend's projects renewed my creative batteries and got me seeing and appreciating recycled art in a whole new fashion.  I'm less inclined to paint on canvas. Give me a wall, seed pods, a guampa.  Seeing everything as a potential surface and seeing art materials all around expands the possibilities ten fold.

Sign board I painted for Ruth's Cocido Literario from salvaged wood

Pods inspired by San Jeronimo

In front of a mural I painted outside my front door

Painted yogurt container planters

From Campo to the City

April 16, 2016

From Campo to City:

Hard to believe that almost three years ago I came to San Jeronimo for the first time and decided that part of my purpose here in Paraguay was to be a part of adding to the art and beauty of this humble, unassuming neighborhood.  In this time I have come to know and befriend, Ruth, a resident and leader of the cultural happenings in the neighborhood.  As a parting gift and final art project, I have been painting a mural for her on her patio wall.  Often our conversations are about the impressions this mural and art in general has had on the residents and how art can change your entire outlook in a space.  Ruth has seen these effects since San Jeromino's renaissance as an artistic, touristic barrio that began in 2009.  She has seen firsthand how the inhabitants and visitors respond to the art makeover.  Recently, the neighborhood has experienced a decline in visitors but I believe new art projects will rekindle the spirits of the residents and those who support the efforts of this charming corner of the city.

Here is some of the work in progress:

The story of the mural: the tradition of making cocido in its rustic form in the forest as seen on the far left with the humo, or steam traveling across the campo to the city and finally cocido literario represented by the traditional cup on a stack of books.

Restoration

March 29, 2015

Probably one of the most comfortable Sundays in months of Sundays to date.  What better way to celebrate the impending fall than with a trip with friends to restore some murals in San Jeronimo.

Thank you Gina, Johnny and Michael for the help!

before

after

The project entails two murals, one of the patron saint of the barrio and the other of the original architect's logos for the neighborhood concept.  San Jeronimo will have a 'face lift', basically renew the paint and the other will also have renewed paint and some added color.  Plans are underway for more murals and painty projects in and around this charming nook of Asuncion.  I leave you with photos of the work in progress....

Birds and Buses

Birds of Paraguay

March 21, 2015

Pods:

Always finding more fodder to keep me moving forward.  This time birds and buses spark a new line of pod painting, plus visits to San Jeronimo with promise of new projects.  Murals, painting columns, working with students who don't have art in school.  All of it renews my vigor for why I am still here.  ... here in the guay, here on this Earth.  If one of the greatest achievements is to impart knowledge onto the next passing soul, then let the sharing begin!

Riding the 'collectives' 

Retreating to my patio garden oasis

Nuestro Mural Take Two!

April 6, 2014

Nuestro Mural Take Two!

Just a quickie update on the mural progress.  Exit the city and into the campo with our second mural, which expresses our hopes for a cleaner, more back to nature future.  The details we add express how we feel about the the time and place of this country, the good times fishing in the river, flying kites and drinking tereré on the porch.  I hope to include details in a follow up post.  They are delightful! I can't help but chuckle about how the antenna or the houses with ginormous AC units crept into the middle of rural Paraguay.

Back on the street of Piraveve, or flying fish in Guarani, the neighborhood kids add their mark.

Loved how each tiny house had a huge AC unit protruding from the side.  

Domino Effect

Mis ayudantes de hoy, Claudia y su hija, Stephanie

March 16, 2014

Domino Effect: when one action causes a small change which in turn causes another and so on. This is the theme of the day's events. What began as a simple desire, my desire, to be a part of this neighborhood, has started a subtle chain reaction in the people around me. Today I was accompanied by a friend and her daughter, who, after seeing my blog and learning about the project, wanted to take part too. They are earning service credits for an English language program. The daughter is an aspiring painter.

After a little while of toiling in the hot sun, another young lady joined in. Apart from this neighborhood, but shared her intentions to help out more in the future. She is interested in art and teaching, and communicated how she would like to gain more experience.

I would be lying if I said I did not feel some pride for providing opportunities for the young people of their country to see and create beauty from humble beginnings. The project has been twofold. First, adding beauty and value to this place, and second, providing an outlet for others to be a part, thereby gaining experience and training for other endeavors, not to mention, it is just plain good fun to get messy and make art!

There is no way of knowing where the next reaction in this chain will lead.  You will need to stay tuned in to find out. We have yet to complete mural number 2.

Finished mural receiving touch-ups

We finished the day with some of Ruth's cocido and a mbjeu.  Riquisimo!

Tranquilo pa = artista contenta

Dear Readers,

Welcome to a retro claimed posting of the original "Art in the Guay" blog.  Initially created in 2013  under an old work email when I first began living and creating in the enchanting country of Paraguay.  Fortunately all of my documentation of the projects was not lost and are the original chronology of the postings are noted.

I will open with the first post back in February of 2014:

Feb 23, 2014

Tranquilo Pa + Artista= Artista Contenta

In opening my very first blog, I share my hopes for documenting the continued projects, both personal and service oriented throughout my stay in this lesser known South American land, I affectionately call the 'Guay.  I will begin by posting a few of my pod paintings.  Last November I began collecting jacaranda seed pods, then painting on them and eventually selling them to raise money for projects in the neighborhood of San Geronimo.  

Nanduti patterned jacaranda seed pods

March 9, 2014

Vamos hacer un mural! Que dicen?! My opening line with about 15 to 20 youths from San Geronimo.  A quick background info: this neighborhood is comprised of about 120 families who have been working hard to keep it clean and it's artistic, colorful style present.  More photos are in my Facebook albums. I instantly became enchanted with the neighborhood and got an idea in my head that I need to be helping out.  The photos here represent today's work on our latest project.  I will take the drawings of the children and creat a collective collage/ design for the mural. Este bien?

Children respond to my prompts with designs of new football areas, pools, etc....