CUBA…was on my bucket list.

Cuba has been on my bucket list since I knew what a bucket list was. 

 

One day I was driving home from Sacramento with my radio tuned to Capitol Public Radio (our local PBS station) and I heard an announcement that the radio station was taking listeners to Cuba on a “People to People” trip.   

 

I have heard that since Raul Castro took over from Fidel things have begun to change in Cuba.  He seems to be taking baby steps toward Capitalism, allowing his people to work privately not for the state in certain jobs.  He has allowed people to open private restaurants, drive private taxi cabs, and now they can buy and sell cars and even buy and sell real estate.   (Of course the state sets the prices and they are too high, but that is another story.)  

 

I remember my friend Kathy telling me about her trip to China with the very first group of American tourists to visit China.  She described people all wearing their “Mao pajamas” and living in a country very different than the China I saw in 2007.   How exciting it would have been to be in China when she went and then return again in 2007. 

 

If I go to Cuba now, I can see it as it is now.  When Cuba opens up to Capitalism and allows private enterprise we could see resort hotels, casinos, oil wells and whatever else invades this tiny island.

 

I know Americans who have snuck into Cuba through Canada, Mexico or some other country but it is illegal and you can be fined for doing so.  I travel to Europe to teach Watercolor Sketching every year so it is important that I not offend the US State Department.  But this trip was licensed by the US Government, so this was legal.  I signed up.

 

36 adventurous souls and our guide Matthew Brumley owner of Earthbound Expeditions boarded a charter flight in Miami on January 12, 2014.

 

 

I will be posting my thoughts, photos and sketches of Cuba over the next few days and weeks.  Stay tuned, and please add your comments to this blog.

CUBA my first impressions

 

Walking across the airport tarmac a pretty young lady wearing a smart military style uniform ushers us into the immigration department.  Her uniform skirt is mini length and she wears black fishnet stockings.

 

My passport and visa stamped, I pass through security, customs, turn in my health form and enter the Havana Airport lobby.  It is small like the old Sacramento Metro Airport in the 1960s.  I see no advertising signs anywhere. 

The airport parking lot is almost empty, save for a few old 1950’s Chevys, a Kia, a couple of Ladas (Russian cars) and our shiny modern Volvo bus.   No advertising signs anywhere.

 

 

 

Our first stop is Plaza de la Revolucion.  Where is everybody?  The government buildings (all built in the 1950s) surround a huge open  area, cement, light poles with dangling wires, a monument, and two huge portraits of Che Guevara …not Fidel?  This is where Fidel made his 4 hour long speeches and where the Pope came, but it is empty today.

 

 

I expected to see huge Fidel faces everywhere but instead it is Che Guevara.

 

 

Back on the bus we head to Old Havana…
we pass a neighborhood that looks like a bombed out war zone.

 

 

…we seem to be on a main street but there is no traffic.  Just a car here in there, or a Lada  (those Russian cars) that Ali told me are not cars more like jokes.

 

 

People walking on the sidewalks, congregating in small groups in doorways, sitting on steps, chairs, balconies and not one person is talking or texting on a cell phone!

 

 

OLD HAVANA…Walking through Old Havana we see lovely Colonial buildings restored by the department of historical preservation.  Our guides tell  us that this is the only government department that still exists after the revolution.   The oldest buildings in Havana are the ones in best condition because the government is restoring the oldest first.

 

 

 

This group plays Cuban music during lunch of shrimp, lobster and rice.   They play in front of the door to the kitchen so the servers keep walking between them with food.  The sisters have beautiful and powerful voices and their sound makes us all want to dance but we are hungry so we eat.

 

 

We are all familiar with the music of the Buena Vista Social Club so after lunch Matthew asks Ali and Laura to show us the Café Taberna where they played.   This is the Café Taberna bar…feels like 1930s here…

 

 

I spot a poster on the wall of famed Cuban singer Beny More’ and see that it advertises RCA Victor records.  The first advertising I have seen in Cuba, I wonder if it will be the last because this is a Communist country where all companies have been owned by the state since 1959.

 

 

We wander down streets of Old Havana, our Cuban guides Ali and Laura answer our questions and point things out to us.  People smile as we pass them, some wave from balconies.  

 

 

We hear music coming from a small hotel lobby.  It is a reed ensemble.  We  investigate, listen for awhile,  LOVE THEIR SOUND!  I buy their homemade cd.

 

 

 

My pre-trip research mentioned Art Deco buildings that have not been changed, so I am pleased to discover this lovely glass work over the reception desk in this small hotel lobby.

 

 

We hear drums and discover a crowd surrounding stilt walkers and everyone is swinging to the Cuban beat.

 

 

Seeing our cameras, this lovely young woman poses for us before hurrying off to catch up with the others.

 

 

Hemmingway slept here…

 

Another beautiful 1930s style bar, this one in Hotel Ambos Mundos where Hemmingway and his friends stayed.

 

 

It is mid afternoon but the piano man is playing at the Hotel Ambos Mundos.  Music seems to be a 24 hour thing here.

 

 

I love old black and white photos.  These show the Good Old Days at the Hotel Ambos Mundos.

 

 

Love this!

 

 

More public art, a mural of Colonial life in Cuba.

 

 

Beginnings of Capitalism? 

 

 

I am not sure why this boat is sitting in the road, but I like it…

 

 

Lovely Old Havana church

 

 

and lovely Old Havana ladies

 

 

Some buildings in Old Havana are restored and painted with fun Cuban colors, while others are in total disrepair.

 

 

I whip out my journal and standing in the street below this balcony I quickly get the bare bones of the scene sketched.  I snap a photo and plan to add the watercolor in my hotel room at the end of the day.

 

This is not a painting trip.  I am not traveling at the slower pace that I do on a painting trip.  This is a People to People Tour which means we are on the go from one thing to the next, no time to sit and sketch.  So I carry my Watercolor Journal with a pen clipped to the spiral binding in my backpack.  My Cannon SLR camera is around my neck.  I am determined to capture some scenes on this trip in watercolor and ink sketches even if it means they get started on the trip and finished from photos when I return home.

 

I will continue to post my thoughts, photos and sketches of Cuba on this blog in the next few days or weeks.  Check back for more, or better yet subscribe to this blog. 

 

What do you think so far?  Please post your comments below.  Thanks!

Our day with Dali

Our Day with Dali

Jackie took us to visit Teatre Museu Dali in the Catalan town of Figueres, Dali's home city.  

Obviously Dali designed his own museum, who else would put giant eggs on the roof of a building, what a hoot!

This car with the statue on the hood has "people" and vines inside and rests in the central courtyard.

Dali loved to tell people that he was a genius and I believe he was.  He could draw like a genius, he was wildly creative and of course he was a marketing genius.  Weird, but genius just the same.

This gold dragon with egg is one of many similar pieces Dali designed.

We did not have time to sketch or paint during our visit to the Dali Museum so Laura saved the Guide map and cut it up to create this collage in her Watercolor Journal.  I included tips on creating collages in Watercolor Journals from Laura in my October Newsletter in an article titled 10 TIPS FOR CREATING ARTFUL MEMORIES WHILE TRAVELING.  If you would like to receive a copy of the newsletter, email me using the contact page on my website, www.sandydelehanty.com.

We went to a cute place for lunch that serves Creps Brittany style, so Jackie felt right at home, because she is orginally from Belgium.  They made a bar out of this cute car so Jackie and I had to have our photo taken in it.

More photos from my recent Watercolor Journaling Workshop in Spain

More photos from my recent Watercolor Journaling Workshop in Spain

I finally found time to get back to blogging so here are photos from the rest our our trip in to Spain in September with our tour guide Jackie Grandchamps of French Escapade.

I left off with our day of painting in the lovely medieval village of Pals.   I just had time to sketch this little painting of Judy's cute corner with the leaning tower before it was time to leave, so I finished painting it while on vacation in France after the painting trip.  The stone walls in this little village have a pretty buttery color in the afternoon light, great fun to try to capture with my watercolors.  I also add a story about my day when I am painting, great fun to read years later and recall the fun day we all had there.

Janet wanted a day to swim in the Mediterranean Sea and lay on the beach, so she stayed back in Calella de Palafrugel while we were painting in Pals.  She took her watercolors with her to the beach and created this charming little painting of the sea and the rocks in her journal.

Our first painting day in Spain we went to a botanical garden with its very own castle called Cap Roig.  Being day one, we were all a bit nervous of course, and many of the paintings did not get photographed afterward because everyone wanted to "fix them".  So here are some of the photos I have received of paintings done that day.  My lesson that day was on "K.I.S.S." (keep it simple stupid) and how to capture shadows quickly so as not to chase the light.  So, to keep it simple I chose to paint a portion of one window of the castle and depict the contrast between the hard steel bars and stone walls and the leafy vine. 

Judy also painted a window and vine and captured the rich warm color of the stones. 

Janet sent me a photo of her painting of the castle at Cap Roig too, love her colors!

Linda from Minnesota went down below and captured this view of the top of the castle at Jardins de Cap Roig above a hedge.  Not an easy angle but she did a great job of showing us the castle.

This is Laura's painting of a different window in the same castle, this one has a Moorish shape to it which Laura worked hard to capture.  She did it.

Our home on the Costa Brava was in the tiny village of Calella de Palafrugel where our hotel looked right out over the Mediteranean Sea.  Naturally there were plenty of views to paint in all directions.  Here we are painting in our "studio" right in front of our hotel.  

And here is the view of Velcro man's house that we were painting.  Jackie told us the story of the man who originally built the house, he was Swiss and made his fortune because he invented Velcro.  His son owns the home now.   

The house is built on rocks so it provided a good subject for a lesson in painting rocks in a quick and simple manner, so here is my demo painting in which I concntrated on getting the rocks "rocky".

The students really got into painting rocky rocks, and we certainly had plenty to paint.  Here is Janet's painting with bold rocks and a warm wall.

And this is Ann from Australia's painting.  I like her colors, very Catalan with the great red roof tiles, bright pots and her green trees.

Another angle showing our cute village.  We all loved this place!

The Catalan flag flying above more rocks.  We were not lacking in rocks to paint.  





Linda and Tom walked down to a little beach further along the path from our hotel and she painted this great little painting of the rocks and windblown trees.  

Every evening we strolled down one or the other of the two streets to our choice of restaurants and enjoyed the Catalan quisene.  The food was always excellent, but sometimes new and a bit strange.

This shot proves you can take the  man out of Minnesota but you cannot take Minnesota out of the man!  (Tom's reaction to being told to just "pull the head off" of the big shrimps to get at the  meat.)

Painting and eating in Catalan region Spain

Continueing with our French Escapade led Watercolor Journaling trip to Spain, I wanted to share photos and stories of our painting day in Pals, Catalan, Spain and a bit about the gourmet food that Jackie our French Escapade guide has included in this trip and we are all LOVING!  To read more about this trip and see more photos check out previous posts.


Having wondered around the tiny 12th century Medieval village of Pals the other evening photographing it in the late afternoon sun, we knew what there was to paint here.  Staying in such a breathtakingly beautiful place as Calella de Palafrugell it would be hard for artists to leave to paint at another location, but knowing the beauty of the village of Pals we were able to choose whether to spend the day painting there, or spend the day painting by the sea again. 


Janet was determined to find time to swim in the sea so she elected to stay and paint and swim.  The hotel loaned her an umbrella, she had her towel, her watercolors and journal and off she went to the beach.  She swam, lounged and painted the rocks and the sea, but since I have not yet figured out how to clone myself I was unable to stay with her to give her any instruction on painting because everyone else wanted to paint in Pals.  So I was pleased to see her colorful painting of the rocks and the sea at Critque that evening.  All it needed was a tiny bit of lifting in one spot which I showed her how to do with a bit of magic erase and WALA she was done.  Unfortunately I think she had returned her journal to the room by the time I started photographing becuase I cannot find an image of this painting.  Please send me one Janet...

The rest of us piled in the van and Jackie drove us to Pals, where the light was very different than our visit the other evening.  That is a good thing because we have photos of this cute village at two different times a day to paint from when we get home.  But because we have painted our little watercolors in our journal on site we really understand how the village is constructed so we will know what we are looking at when we paint larger paintings from our photos when we return home.  So often I see paintings of European scenes and it is obvious they were painted from a photo someone took without ever having taken the time to actually sketch or paint on site because the painting does not quite capture the true scene.  It is especially obvious in the shadows which look flat when painted from a photo because the camera is not picking up the texture and detail that you see when you paint on site.

I can imagine the villagers defending themselves by shooting their crossbows through these little slots in the thick stone wall surrounding the village.

The great thing about watercolor journaling is that you do not need to carry an easel and stand up all day working away.  In fact, since we are staying in a beach town my students purchased these folding beach chairs so they could be comfortable painting.  Here is Mary and Linda (the Linda from Canada, we also have a Linda from Minnesota).

The first visit to Pal there had been a motorcycle parked against the stone wall Linda was painting.  This time the motorcycle was gone but she liked it, so being a creative artist, she painted it in the scene anyway.  At one point I was walking toward her down the lane she was painting and saw a man standing a couple of feet behind her quietly watching her paint.  He had a really puzzled look on his face as he looked at the painting and then at the scene, you could just see him thinking "there is no motorcycle there????".

Laura was painting this cute little window with the big leafed plants beside it.  When I took photos it was not quite done as you can see, but I love the style of her ink lines and the lovely transparent colors of her watercolors so I wanted to post it anyway and she was OK with that.

And June painted this cute little window with the pots.  It was a really challenging spot with lots happening, but she had fun with it as you can see!

Judy found a really cute corner in the village of Pals and worked to the very last moment, not even stopping for lunch, she ate a protein bar in one hand and kept on painting with the other.  Her painting buddies in Hawaii are probably not surprized by this at all! 

Here is the corner she was painting, talk about eye candy!

And here is her lovely watercolor.  She did not like the dull brown color of the door so she created a much prettier blue door.  The round tower structure next to the door was difficult but she got it.  Also notice that her rocks have a wide variety of color, great job!

I snapped a photo of this sunny wall that I kept passing on my way from where Linda (Minnesota) and Ann were painting to where Judy was painting.  I loved the shapes of the basket purses and the cast shadows and the colors and textures in the stone wall.

People were much smaller in the 12th century, either that or this door was built for hobbits! 

Here is the cute little street scene Ann and Linda (Minnesota) chose to paint in Pals.  Somehow I forgot to take a photo of them painting but below are the paintings they created.

This is Ann's painting.  It is a lovely watercolor that captures the whole scene beautifully and I think it is my favorite of all that she painted.  Lovely painting and I love how she wrote the story of her day next to the painting. 

Sorry about the font changes, and spacing, this website is not accepting my mouse clicks this morning uuuuug.  My little netbook was working fine on yahoo earlier so it is the website.

This is Ann from Australia (who painted the above watercolor) and we all had a great time getting to know her.  I am honored that she came so far to join our painting trip.  Before arriving to paint with us she visited London and the Cotswalds in England where she created some lovely watercolors in her journal.

This is Linda's (Minnesota) watercolor of the pots along the main street of Pals.  I love the way she shows you that the plants were cactus but a variety of them and also she got the pots nice and rounded and the wall is definitely made of a variety of stones.  Great job Linda!  Linda's husband Tom scouted the town while we were all painting and by lunch time he knew not only where to shop for the local products but which stores had the best prices.  He is a keen observer of people and provides us with interesting antidtotes of the daily life of the poeple he as witnessed.

Judy said one night that she thought Jackie should have advertised this trip as a "Painting/Gourmet Food Trip" since every one of our dinners together have been fabulous and we have learned so much about the Catalan way of cooking.  I think she is right!

Here is a market photo that gives you an idea of the freshness of the ingredients that the chefs use to do their magic.

And of course the fish is caught that day and the waitress presents it so you can choose which fish you want.  I am not a fan of mussels but everyone else in our group has been raving them.   At home I do not like sardines, but fresh caught here they are terrific. 

Our waitress presenting the "fish of the day".

This was the best the wonderful salads I had on  this trip, warm goat cheese salad.  The large round of goat cheese was actually grilled, their were all kinds of goodies along with it as you can see, even tiny sweet strawberries, and the dressing was balasmic vinegar and oil, artfully drizzeled.  The restaurant's name I have forgotten but it was in the tiny seaside village of Calella de Palafrugell where we have been staying.

This was the "house salad"!   And then came the main dish and then the desert!  I only got photos of the salads, I think I was too busy eating to photograph the main dishes!

June not only loves the food and the company she also loves the Sangria, but do not worry, not all of the glasses in this photo are hers, she is too much a lady to go overboard.

More to come.....thanks to Jackie of French Escapade tours for making this all possible.