THE BIRTH OF PARADISE STUDIO

Hello to all -- over twenty years have passed since I made the transition from living in a cold, wet climate to this exotic locale amongst people of a different culture. Perhaps some of you readers have also done so and are curious to see how your experience differs from mine. I had already lived in Mexico for many years pursuing a demanding career before I decided to pick up a paint brush and chase the fulfillment that creativity brings to oneself. In doing so I rediscovered a lost passion for painting, one that I'd cultivated in my youth before leaving it behind as my life so dictated.

I am mostly self taught and still learning. I had studied art and applied design in high school and excelled at both, but never pursued a career in either. Back in the day I had little guidance as to what kind of careers were available to artists and it was largely assumed that artists ended up as poor bohemians, struggling to get by. Hindsight and foresight aside, life takes us where we're supposed to go, so it took me a while to get back to the roots of my original passion. I started painting again about five years ago. Cancun is expanding at an alarming rate and now has a more diverse variety of art supplies available, but when I first started, materials were quite limited. I went to the Papeleria Cancun, a large warehouse-like structure that caters to business, scolastic and artistic needs. There I bought my first set of oil paints (I'd always used water-colors), brushes, canvas, mediums and easel. Since I'd never attemped oils before I began to research on the web, educating myself as to technique. I have since then produced all manner of paintings from plein air to layered works completed over time so as to give them luminosity and depth. And recently I've taken up acrylics as well.

Here is a link to one of the web sites I'm associated with. You can view some of my paintings and if so inclined, order an original or a print.

If any of you have questions about the life of an artist here I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability... just leave a comment. I'll be posting my latest works regularly so come back soon for more snippets about life on the outskirts of the rat race and the artwork I create inspired by the magnificent Caribbean ocean as well as the people and culture of the region. Bye for now -- E.