Tags
Acrylic Painting, Children's Art, Group Painting Projects, Hostal Palo Santo Jama Ecuador, I Can Do This Workshop, Lisa Brunetti art, Lodging Jama Ecuador, Spirals
Manabi Ecuador
Last weekend, my friends from the port city of Manta visited this rural farming area of Jama for the first time. Taking a day off from responsibilities, I joined them at Hostal Palo Santo, where we rented three cabanas and enjoyed a leisurely visit in the serene garden setting. With wide-eyed wonder, young Nicolas and Natalia tested the see-saw, touched their toes to the sky from the swing set and befriended a young kitten/gatito.
Natalia: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!
Nicolas: Snips and Snails and Kitty Cat Tails!
I suggested that we drive to my house to watch the sunset, and the seven of us drove the five kilometers for a comfortable end-of-day visit. We weren’t prepared for Nicolas’ reaction! From the moment he entered the house, he uttered this sentence of disbelief:
“Esta Casa Es Loca!” – Noolas photographs the wooden fishing cat.
One might argue that he said four one-word sentences – over and over as he absorbed the uninhibited whimsy throughout the house. With quietly-spoken words of wonder, he stated, “Esta. Casa. Es. Loca.” With each new discovery, he politely asked for permission to take a photograph.
After coffee, lemonade and popcorn break, we enjoyed the after-sunset finale as Natalia and Nicholas added their touches to “If Fish Could Fly.”
The next morning we returned to the house to create an art project for the entire family. The following images illustrate our painting experience!
We started with a spiral, drawn by Gonzalo. Nicolas added our planet in the center of the spiral!
All of that painting makes one tired! (That’s good! Nicolas’ left brain will take a nap so that his more-patient right brain awakens!)
Ah! Silvia joins the painting process while Eloisa and Abuela prepare lunch!
Momma Eloisa joins the painting party!
The memories of those 24 hours will forever be branded in the painting. This work of art now resides with my friends in Manta, while “If Fish Could Fly” records unique touches from Nicolas and Natalia!
“Esta. Casa. Es. Loca.”
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
¡Qué bonito! 🙂
muchas grrrrrrrrrracias! their visit was refreshing! z
Wonderful! What fun to sit and create something like this with the whole family adding their own creative touches!
it truly was fun and amazing! thanks so much! z
Great story – I am impressed with what must have been an incredible attention span for the children.
thank you; yes, it was an amazing experience to watch them paint!
What an absolutely wonderful experience.. To have a community (family) art piece is so precious.. I love the view of the river from your window.. would love to wake up to that each day!!
thanks! presently we’re getting lots of rainfall, and that river is quite bravo! it’s a bit unsettling to watch the debris washing downstream and watching the small eddies and whirlpools.
z
May they always meet find homes and in the world of crazy. You’re a genius.
you are too kind, my friend. thanks!
Nicely done, Z.
thanks! i’m glad you enjoyed the post!!! z
I love homes that tell a story- or many stories of the resident’s life. Lovely entry.
thank you! this farm house has such an interesting history! with time i will share more, but there are so many great stories that come at me from many directions! every day there are more! my cup runneth over!
I lived in a 200 year old farmhouse for many years so I will be eager to hear more!
Awesome!
Not surprising that he was so captivated by your wondrous house! The result of the joint painting effort is equally captivating 🙂
thanks.. a friend stopped by tonight and helped with another section. the painting is evolving well and has it’s own life for sure. it’s one extremely busy work of art! z
Your home looks so much fun to visit. I’m sure it would be even for us big kids. 🙂
you betcha! a big kid visited tonight, and he enjoyed adding his part to the painting. the painting is evolving well and is going to be quite unique!
Looking forward to the end result! 🙂
Well, dang! We just had a miraculous event here! I read your title and didn’t have to “translate it”. I understood it just as it was.
Now, granted – that’s not a big sentence. But my understanding suggests that immersion and osmosis can go some distance in helping the learning process along. It obviously works with art, too!
your comments add so much to these posts! than you so much, and i am delighted that you’re sailing over these spanish hurdles.
it’s time for a new letter — j… any suggestions? my favorite ‘j’ word to type (in spanish) is ‘ja-ja-ja-ja-JA!” though i am not laughing right now as i hear the eddies swirling like agressive schools of fish outside that window! rio jama is bravo after all of this rain.
z
I see that “kids says the darndest things” in any language. Great view of the river as well. BTW, any good shakes lately? ~James
http://www.eldiario.com.ec/noticias-manabi-ecuador/255453-un-sismo-de-3-5-grados-se-sintio-esta-madrugada-en-manabi/
i was awake and painting, and did not feel a thing… we’ve been having lots of rain (it’s presently raining AND thundering.. the latter is very unusual)
here’s a volcano report regarding ole faithful tungurahua:
http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1166631&Itemid=1
I love NIcholas’s unabashed honesty (crazy house) and then turns to you and asks if he can take a picture. That is priceless. What a great piece of artwork the family worked on together because of you…taking time and teaching patience.
nocholas was/is an amazing mix of uninhibited ‘full throttle’ and reserved respect for others. ecuadorians have such understated class, but you knew that, didn’t you?
The casa loca came through! Good thing! Great post and the painting is so fun and colorful and COOL!
thank you! yes, it was a fun two days! z
Your art is just amazing, so nice, beautiful and colourful. And your life too! 🙂
thank you so much! yes, i am extremely lucky, though getting here was a long arduous life journey! z
A lovely story and a lovely painting. Everyone must love coming to your house. I know I enjoy my visits.
thank you! you are always welcome in my house, by virtual journey or one in person! con mucho gusto! z
Thank you. I wish you had been at my house today. I could have done with your plumbing skills and some of your decorative artwork.
that made me laugh, and yes, i would have enjoyed the challenge of helping solve the plumbing problems! thanks! z
A vibrantly wonderful gift of creative love flowing in many directions and uniting you all in beauty. What fun!!
than you! yes, you nailed it. we had a very enriching experience! z
It must be very inspiring living on the river. Great story and beautiful colors.
thank you, valentina! yes, the river inspires me every time i gaze out my window! z
‘Wish I were there! (See today’s blog!)
thank you SO MUCH for that amazing feature! i am honored! z
Brilliant!
thank you so much! z
what a moving creative painting school session!
P.S.: and you moved me with your story about Jenny in the Mississippi Delta!
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/do-you-remember-me/
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thanks, amigo. well, you started it with that great musical opening to my day! i loved your personal recording, but i also loved those that transported me back to my cihldhood! i will try to figure out a way to introduce others to jenny’s story! z
So wonderful to watch a piece of art be made! Lovely!
it’s really evolving.. have been working on images all day instead of painting. it’s hard to juggle it all, isn’t it momma? at least my family is grown!!!
Oh but if I could ever take some art classes and learn! I will someday. I just love watching your paintings unfold. Amazing!!!!
I’m so glad you are enjoying this series! z
I love it! 🙂
your children would be ‘all over’ something like this!
Nicolas is unique as the same as his comments. Natalia is such a lovely girl…pretty smart and innocent and the same time. I loved the quotes from the top when you describe the kids 😀 They are one of my closest friends ♥♥
those are two of the most precious ninos in ecuador!!!! i love them both, and it’s obvious that you do as well! i hope that we meet one day! thanks! lisa/z