Thursday, January 31, 2008

Palms Up

Winter blues are taking a hold of me. I am longing for the beach. The technique in this painting is a little different from the usual layers of glazing that most of my paintings consist of. The effect of scumbling - dragging the paintbrush across the canvas so that it only deposits paint on the higher elevations of the surface - is a different approach to create some mystique to a scene.

Palms oil on canvas 30" X 24" Chris De Dier
available from the artist. call for pricing. http://www.chrisdedier.com/

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A Beach With A View

I have no words to add to this painting. And maybe it does not need any. Or maybe I am just too tired and desperate to take a nap. It is a view of a beach. Calming, peaceful. That's all.

Ebbed 36" X 48" oil on canvas Chris De Dier

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Exposed

Anyone interested in theory concerning my paintings + some of my deepest secrets should check out Trust Your Style today. There is an interview on it where things are explained that I never mention unless being asked about. Don't fear to get bored because there is plenty of other interesting stuff on that site. Trust me.... Trust Your Style knows Style.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

South On Congress

I usually do not spend purposeless time on city streets during beautiful sunny days, but wintertime would be an exception. South Congress in Austin, TX is one of the few pedestrian friendly areas in this city that is not yet invaded by the predictable chain stores. It has a style of its own, a nice mix of old and new, clean and dirty, rich and poor seemingly happy at balancing each other.






Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Unexpected

Last Sunday, when walking through a residential neighbourhood in Austin, TX, I was pleasantly surprised to find this bridge. It is near the corner of Wilson and El Paso Streets in the South Congress area. The concrete posts and sidewalk of this bridge over a narrow creek are covered with a mosaic of pieces of mirror and porcelain with fish motives. It is on one side of the street only.






Friday, January 11, 2008

Chichen Itza

Not sure whether it was because of the Christmas week or because Chichen Itza is since July 2007 one of the 7 Wonders of the World and all of a sudden became a household name; tens of thousands and thousands and thousands of people were there. I read in the local newspaper that the site was visited by 1.6 million people last year. They come from all over the world.
It wasn't all too bad yet when we arrived around 11:00AM, though it was noticeably very busy already (during our first visit 4 years ago we were practically alone everywhere except around the Kukulkan pyramid, which could still be climbed then). However by mid afternoon it felt as densely busy as Times Square in NYC on a Saturday evening in Summer. If anything, it gave a sense of how it must have been when the area was heavily populated and this was an important religious center.






Thursday, January 10, 2008

To The Market

Religious statues are not the only wares sold at the mercado in Merida.
The constant hustle and bustle of people in the narrow alleys filled with merchandise is a feast for the eyes. The produce is always fresh and local, often home grown and/or home made. The only area I have to stay away from is the meat section. Unfortunately the air around dead meat makes me sick, whether there is smell or not.







Wednesday, January 9, 2008

A New Year Past

My Aunt Nelly sent me these pictures of a few new acquisitions for her vast collection of New Year's Cards. These date from the 1880's and are quite elegant.





Saints For Sale

Statues, votive candles, amulets, incense, remedy powders and other religious paraphernalia of mixed origin can still be found in little shops at the mercado. It remains all distinctly Mexican, but for how much longer? Shops exclusively dealing in chinese imports are infiltrating in the area and are popular with the younger generations. Sadly most cultures are eroding fast in the winds of "international" style.





Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Honor The Memory

Aside from crucifixes and statues of angels replacing ancient deities, I wonder if Catholicism changed much in the way South American cultures buried and remembered their death. The graveyards in Mexico are definitely colorful with prominent displays of the idols.
Here pictures of the Cementerio Xoclan in Merida, YUC. It looks to me like a city of miniature temples.






Sunday, January 6, 2008

History Painting

The "murals" of Fernando Castro Pacheco at the Governor's Palace in Merida are stunning. They mainly depict the submission and enslaving of the Mayan people by the Conquistadores, the clergy and the European colonists. The 31 paintings have a chronological order, starting with the story of creation according to Mayan beliefs. These massive works are a national treasure. To term them murals is not entirely correct because they are painted on panels.
Below are some details of these huge and important paintings.





Artistic Floor

I could not walk by without admiring the beauty of this concrete floor in a parking garage in Merida because of the interesting embedded forms, textures, grime and rich patina, and turn it into works of art. I like looking for artistic accidents of this sort in unlikely places.

Footprints of Time I Chris De Dier

Footprints of Time II Chris De Dier

Friday, January 4, 2008

Colorful



Mexico is rapidly changing. Soon, it will no longer be considered a developing nation. Especially in the larger cities, the middle class is on the rise and the stores are stocked with bountiful products of national and foreign origin.
Mexico will always be linked with a strong sense for vibrant colors that is evidenced even in simple green produce.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Back Up


I have spent the last three weeks in Merida for another Christmas Season in the tropics. Unable to post anything on my blog while there, I brought plenty of photos and will make up for the absense in the coming days. In the meantime, a belated Happy New Year to everyone who is not on my mailing list.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Honor is ...

A great start for the new year is to be picked as a Trust Your Style Best of 2007.



Wednesday, January 2, 2008
tys art picksof 2007
Whew, that was a long post yesterday even by my standards! In an effort to keep the posts coming this week, I'm going to break down tys Best of 2007 picks into categories.



A tie between between Alex Weinstein's gorgeous waves and Chris De Dier's breathtaking skies. Their work is on my wish list for 2008.