Work of Art – End-of-Year Customs

Jama Ecuador – Rycardo Alclivar’s ‘Bamboo Iguana’ presided over the end-of-year festivities and will surely claim the title of ‘Official Greeter’ near the Rio Jama bridge!  Mototaxis ferried people from the center of town and back to peer at the iguana, while buses paused for passengers to take photos!

In mock grief from losing the ‘old man-viejos’ in the end-of-year effigy “mueneco” burnings,  young men in faux widows’ garb pestered (in good taste!) people who passed by in cars or trucks.

Work of Art – You Earned This!

Tags

Bamboo construction, Bamboo Creations, jama ecuador, New Year's Traditions in Ecuador, Rycardo Alcivar Jama

It’s not fair to keep you in suspense, though the suspense for me will be wondering how long it will take to compose this post on slow internet!

So where did we stop on the last post? Oh yes, with the recipe!

200 Sections of Bamboo
200 meters of fabric
70 pounds of Nails
12 Gallons of Paint
80 Spray Cans of Paint
One Air Compressor
3 Pistols of Silicon
Rycardo Alcivar and 6 Volunteers…
7 weeks of work and counting…

Please, please, come inside! OSHA’s not watching!

Step inside and enjoy the tour!

Work of Art – You Asked for This!

Tags

Bamboo Sculpture, Building projects with bamboo, jama ecuador, Rycardo Alvicar

Jama/Manabi/Ecuador –  Yesterday’s post hinted at a new project that’s underway in this cowboy town: “Jama DOES have one amazing work of art under construction. Thankfully it won’t be burned, but this project in progress deserves its own post.”

No, those cross sections of bamboo are not for a giant tic-tac-toe board!

Unless you passed over the bridge in Jama, you might be totally baffled.

Gallivanta replied, “I am looking forward to that work of art :)”

The hands of the artist Rycardo Alcivar

The highly-talented artist/sculptor Rycardo Alcivar often undertakes an end-of-year bamboo sculpture near the Jama River bridge on the outskirts of Jama.

RECIPE:  Take 200 large sections of bamboo,  200 meters of fabric and 200 sticks for a hot-glue gun…

Any guesses?

Bente added, “Work of art? waiting for it! :

New Month, New Week & a Bright, Bright Sun-shining Day!

Tags

Bright Sun Shining Day, Ecuador, happy people

“Let’s get moving!” – Otavalo – Child in Bucket!

With great pleasure, I embrace the start of this week feeling much better! I’m not ready for the hurdles or pole-vaulting competitions, but as Johnny Nash’s lyrics state, ‘I think I can make it now, the pain is gone.’

Enjoy Jimmy Cliff’s version of the song while cyber-strolling through Playamart’s Ecuador files.

Pour a cup of coffee or tea – hot or chilled and take a magic trip to the middle of the world.  My neighbor Nelly will lead the parade!

Nelly at La Division

Smiling Nelly gets silly!

Jama Parade

Oh, to be tall! (No Chikungunya in those joints!)

“I can see all obstacles in my way!”

Jama Mermaid

San Vicente Cabalgata

Near Montechristi

It’s a bird.. it’s a plane.. it’s — SuperBarb!

Photo by Henry Groff

Marie Groff, Smiling with new friends in Cuenca!

Silly moments in Jama

End of Day – Tired but Smiling… (Jama)

The rain is gone!

It’s going to be a bright, bright sun shining day!

Timeout for Art: Mosaics and Beyond

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mirror ideas, mosaics, Timeout for Art

Hmmm; what do we have staring back at us?

As I look back upon my life, I see that every part of it was a preparation for the next. The most trivial of incidents fits into the larger pattern like a mosaic in a preconceived design.
Margaret Sanger

Last week during the 10-day power outage, I worked on several different projects.    The mosaic border demanded many more hours’ attention than I had planned, but the end result might fool most people who view it from six or eight feet.     Here is how it looked last week:

In progress – Mosaic Mirror

After about four layers of paint on each piece of the mosaic, much of the grout area was painted a second time.   Thick and a bit-sloppy paint gave the illusion of true grout.  When that dried, the edges were strengthened with straight, confident strokes and highlights were added along the top edges.

What Is Wrong With This Picture?

Tags

El Matal Ecuador, jama coaque art project, jama concurso, jama ecuador light posts paintings, palo santo jama ecuador, urban art, who owns urban art?

Many of you will remember the extremely-popular (It Started With One Light Pole) post from 2012 that circulated round the world – more than once! Several periodicals pointed readers to this community project that was triggered by one lone light pole.

Just last week someone else featured this community event – (And did not ask to use my photos!) – I refrained from scolding them about using my photos, since this was about the locals in Jama and not about me.  The more the world read about those artists and about the positive things happening in Jama, the better.  Right?

For a refresher, see IT STARTED WITH ONE LIGHT POLE. (2012)

It Started With One Light Pole

Looking better!

“It Started With One Light Pole” – (Remember this view!)

One year later…

I’ve enjoyed watching Luchy transform his petite little building into a work of art, and we sometimes smile and say, ‘It started with one light pole.” That lone post triggered two years’ worth of urban art.  I witnessed shy insecure young artists bud into confident ones.

But something is amiss this week, and I’m struggling with warring emotions. 

Ecuador’s End-of-Year Effigies

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ano viejo customs in ecuador, new year's traditions, new years eve customs in ecuador, what to do on near years eve in ecuador

With a tiny slice of time, I am again sharing images of my most favorite mascots that dot the Ecuadorian landscapes during this final week of the year.

Each year they seem more scarce, and their absence concerns me.  As with flowers, the presence or absence of these ‘ano viejo’ effigies somehow represents the soul of the community.  Why are they no longer enjoying this custom in my sweet community?