Paradise Found!

Ondarte International Artist Residency
Akumal Mexico

Hola! This is something that has to be shared! I was picked up at Cancun airport one week ago for a two month stay and have settled in nicely to life at Ondarte and as predicted, one day might be paint, pool, paint, pool… the next day sun, sand, snorkel…. and the next, might be a combination. The mix of artists is great, the premises outstanding, and the surroundings – simply magic. For instance, one crawls out of bed, goes for a swim in the nearby lagoon teaming with all varieties of colourful fish or jumps on a bike and rides in to ‘town’, perhaps at this time of year, lucky enough to catch a turtle digging a nest which will hatch in 60 days…. then it’s back to the studios and getting down to the business of making art. Paradise or what?!

The studios are outside under a giant palapa where we work day and/or night, depending on the collective mood. But it’s easy to stay and work all day, serenaded by the many birds with the fan blowing beside you and the pool not far away to cool off even more. Hot but good, and it’s to be expected for the middle of the summer. The tropics may take some adjusting for some but having lived in Australia for 28 years, I was happy to get away from the Sydney ‘cold’ of winter. And I couldn’t have picked a better spot…

Already, an exhibition of our work is planned for July 23 where all of the locals and tourists have been invited. The entire town is looking forward to the event. There are many expat Americans in this hidden oasis on the Mayan Riviera, so the idea of international artists coming to the area has been welcomed with open arms. And that’s what you will find with the friendly folk around here – open arms. The ruins of Tulum and Coba are closeby, and further supplies can be found in Playa del Carmen, a half hour north.  

I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and achieving the goal of a strong body of work, so stay tuned for weekly installments! Hasta luego!