Sunshine Palette Mexico Part One: Puerto Vallarta and Nayarit

This March (2025) 12 brave Canadians left the winter behind to adventure ourselves into warm climates on our trip, Sunshine palette Mexico. Here we are outside of our home away from home, Casa Buena art retreat. We were located about 3 hours north of Puerto Vallarta (by bus), right on the Pacific Coast. It was a beautiful blend of established students from the Ottawa area, and a couple of Canadians from as far away as B.C. 

Our adventure began a few days before, when people arrived in Puerto Vallarta, and we all gathered together to enjoy the cultural activities around beach walks, sculptures, gorgeous mosaics, many art galleries, interesting historical architecture, and out hotel, which was a cornucopia stuff to paint! 

Gorgeous mosaics everywhere. 

Our first night out in Puerto Vallarta, eating at a seafood restaurant, PV's speciality.  

Artwork, including sculptures and murals abounded, as well as many galleries. 

Church of Our lady of Guadaloupe, Puerto Vallarta. 

Many streets adorned with flags, or umbrellas, to provide some shade for the many visitors. Pretty, and nice to paint. When you are on the move and can't, or don't have time to paint, a photo reference for after the trip also works. 

And now, on to Casa Buena Art Retreat, Nayarit, Mexico. 

After 3 hours of driving, and stopping to shop at the open air markets of Sayulita, we finally made it to the retreat. Since I've posted the picture of the main building with pool many times, I thought I'd show some other sides to the retreat.

Trees and bushes, flowers were everywhere, which means plenty of subjects to paint, and plenty of shade to create in comfort.  

The absolute abundance of Flowers

Bougainvailleas of every colour imaginable.

Halyconias, also many types.

Morning glories. 

The palm tree were beautiful, but as you can see, we had many multi-coloured floral choices

 as well. 

You didn't have to go far to get amazing views of cliffs, water and sky or mist. This was an early morning shot, which burnt off easily as the day warmed up. the weather could not have been more perfect. 

Potted plants, how much detail? How far away? Many ways to figure this into a painting. 

A few side trips to photo other subject matter. In these instances where there was nowhere in the shade to paint, we'd stop for a photo opp, and keep going. 

The sunsets did not disappoint, nor did the sunset challenges. A lot of learning was had by keen observation. 

Spending all day together, sharing meals, painting or swimming, you get to know the other artists on the trip very well, and in a comfortbale way that you don't get from a weekly class. This, is a shared experience, under very relaxing circumstances. 

Of course, this is just a sampling of what out trip was like. Stay tuned for part 2, where I go into much more details about what was painted. 

Til then, Adios. 

 

Janet Milne, a woman who was respected, admired and loved.

Janet, hard at work on thumbnails, Le Piannore, Tuscany, 2015

On Thursday January 25th, 2024, I received a shocking phonecall, that Janet Milne had died suddenly that morning. Everyone is in shock, as Janet was a model for me, of how to live a healthy meaningful life. I always admired her, and often thought I wanted to be just like her when I get older. 

the lighthouse at Pointe au Baril, soft pastel by Janet Milne

I met Janet many years ago (guessing 20 years?) when she phoned me, she had been referred to me as the pastel teacher in the Ottawa area. I was teaching a workshop that week, and Janet showed up in no time, with works in progress. Like many of my students, she was in disarray, because something was wrong with her drawing, and she couldn't figure out what it was. The painting, in pastel was of her granddaughter. It was easy for me to help her with the proportions, and voila, the piece was much better quickly. Janet was thrilled. 

A winner, on location, soft pastel.

The next day, Janet showed up at the workshop, and thrust a bottle of wine in my hand. She said "You're the best art teacher I've ever had". And thus began, the long friendship, bolstered by many life drawing workshops, every pastel class I ever taught, plein air, and her loyalty in coming on as many of my painting trips as she could muster. There was a nucleus, and small group of very loyal students who took many classes with me. When I left the Ottawa area to take care of aging parents, Barb Dickson took the flag, and kept the group going, with weekly plein air excursions that I am proud to say still go on to this day. Thanks Barb. Janet was an integral part of this ongoing group. To this day they paint, hike and snowshoe together and I'm sure Janet will be very much missed by everyone in this group. 

appreciating nature

There are so many things I really appreciated about Janet: First and foremost Janet was loving and kind.  To us, yes, but always talking of her family as well.  She was just into people, and seeing the best in everyone. 

2nd, for me, she was such a great supporter and encouraged ever project I took on, coming to as many workshops as she could manage, but also expressing her satisfaction with various courses and how much she was learning. Thirdly, Janet was generous in every way possible. The thrusting of wine bottles into my hand was a regular occurence, and she was up for so many adventures. I visited her at her cottage, in Florida, when her and Glen lived there in the winters, and she came out for so many plein air days, and anything I tried to put on. Thank you Janet, for your support. It meant everything. 

Janet was also into philosophy of every kind and loved debating art issues, but also politics, science and any subject. She was a person who could think for herself, and had many opinions on every topic under the sun. But an informed opinion, and intelligent opinion. She loved the interaction of human minds coming together in any kind of debate. I can't say I always agreed with her, but respected her right to voice her opinion. It made our freindship more genuine. 

Mostly I just loved Janet for being such a great, caring, generous person. I will continue to admire her and appreciate her place in my life for many days to come. 

Thankyou for your life, Janet!  

Pics of our travels together:

Peru

 

Portugal

Georgian Bay

Tucany and the Amalfi Coast

Visiting a winery, with a great view for painting

Outdoor pizza oven at LePiannore

Angus teaching us how to make Risotto. It was SO delicious!

Sienna

The ruins at Herculaneum.

On to Spain,...

Our reward for walking up this mountain, with a castle and a view!

Janet hard at word using her Vaultz box. 

A hint of the beautiful mediterranean water colours. 

Mallorca, Spain

There are literally thousands of photos of our travels. Thank you Janet, for being who you are, we love you. 

Pura Vida at Casa Zen

Casa Zen, St. Teresa, Costa Rica. This piece is almost square, 19" X 19.5", soft pastel. 

Started in Nov. 2023 and finished in January 2024

INSPIRATION: While on a trip to Costa Rica several years ago, we stayed at Casa Zen, in ST. Teresa. This place was almost right on the beach, and it offered yoga classes daily. When I went up to the 2nd floor to see the yoga studio, this is the scene that met me. Lot of light, in the direction of the beach, and this lovely patterning created by nature in the form of Palm fronds. 

Here I am, about to begin my demonstration at Gallery 203 in Old Montreal, at the opening weekend of Pixel Pastel, a national pastel show, last November. 

I decided to work on this piece for my demonstration, because I have been known as a soft pastel instructor for some time, working in straight on impressionism. I do love that method, but had been wanting to delve into new creative pursuits. So, about 3 or 4 years ago, I started experimenting with new methods that I thought were more in keeping with my true sense of creativity and curiosity. Since then, I've been painting a lot of things with pattern, a ton of colour, and layers of subject matter. I'm abandonning old techniques and not knowing exactly what will happen next. It's making the work so exciting to create. 

Here, you can still see the underpainting showing through. I wanted the underpainting to be somewhat electric and tropical. I intended on letting the undeprainting show through in some places, as the scene is backlit with full on sunshine. However, I was also aware of the patterning of nature, in terms of the palm leaves, and also wanted to express the repeat nature of the long leaves, the fullness and richness of them, and their colours. So it's a give and take of rich coloured leaves and the light behind, that is illuminating. 

 

Here I am with Myles Johnson, president of the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada (and whom I found out grew up in the Ottawa area!) One thing about my new direction in executing paintings, is it is more time consuming, and perhaps not a good choice for a time restrainted demonstration. I only got so far on the painting, and have been working on it off and on ever since at home. Myles and everyone at PSEC were marvellous. The space was full of light and the work exhibited was top-notch. 

At this paint, lots left to do. Working hard to soft, it's time to get out the softies and start really intensifying and enriching the established colours. I am not working dark to light, but rather palm leaves, then railing, back and forth.

Covering up more of the underpainting, you can see the palms slowly gain more presence.

At this point, I'm starting to add in other colours on the palms, of the same value, like purples and reds. 

Not happy with the light on the deck surface, I corrected my drawing there, putting in more detail, more accuracy. Also considering a consistent sense of light, on the railings, edge of floor, and an illuminated intense sense of the stained glass discs. 

I wanted to lighten the value of the floor, and have the darker area vary in value, left to right., adding to a consistent sense of light in the whole piece.

My goal as an artist these days is to create work that has a unique voice, but also work in which I love every step of the process. I cna saythat between the Peacocks series, Avalon, and Mother, and now this piece, I am well on my way of achieving that goal. 

This piece is framed white a light neutral matt and a ligth coloured wood frame, available for $899.00. If you are interested in this piece, please contact me at marg.ferraro@gmail.com