Thursday morning I waited at Carla´s Casa de Marquesa, hoping the taxi sent would hook up with the party of 4 coming to do the course. They arrived around 10.30, no worse for wear and THE WEEK WAS ON!
Throughout the week everyone worked in my studio, I had thought the one experienced painter Dorian Dean would be off on her own…but she worked alongside the 3 more novice folk. I would pick them up every morning at Casa Marquesa after they finished breakfast, herd them across the plaza and begin the demonstration of the day around 10.00-10.30.
We worked with oil pastel, and techniques like twig and ink etc., and basic intro to painting. The work they produced exceeded their own, and my expectations.
Then at 2 pm we’d head cross the plaza to eat a traditional Spanish lunch (tres platos vino incluso for 8.50 euro each) at Fermin´s Taberna del Arriera – Fermin became a favorite of all.
After SIESTA…
Wednesday we went by local bus to Aranjuez and had lunch at place Oscar had found last year, so close to the buses you think it must be a dive, BUT actually a lovely and cool comidor, pale pink napkins and tablecloths -just the ticket after the heat of walking the town!
The final evening Carla and Jan Kees of Casa Marquesa, plus Anemi Moolhuisen, a Dutch friend and painter, came to the house to see all the work our group had produced. The group had really hit it off with Carla and Jan, and loved the cool courtyard and rooms at Casa Marquesa. This friendliness and mutual interest lead to an invitation to stay for a paella dinner. Quite an unusual event. With all the camaraderie Carla and Jan decided, with their daughter Stella (age13), to visit Baltimore next spring to kick off a tour of northeast region!
Another Chinchonian event coincided with our week – the Corpus Christi Festival. An orchestral dirge, sounding like the religious parades from Godfather II, came through the windows on Sunday. We went in search and found the parade of new communion girls in beautiful white dresses coming from the cathedral and accompanied by the band, walking through Chinchon throwing flower petals into open doors.
Thursday was the shoe pick-up for the show in Santander. I was far from the professional job I had been led to expect. Only one person arrived driving the truck to Santander, so Anemi and I carried up all the boxes to the studio. The guy was bit of a rube so I packed everything myself. Anemi called to make sure someone else would be there to help carry the boxes in, so the boss, Jefe´ had to come and make his son work. The story is called “The Jefe´, His Son and the Rube.” Ask me later…
I went into Madrid with Karen Olsen and Dee Ann West, 2 students who stayed an extra day to make sure of their hotel. I also wasted a colossal amount of time trying to cancel a lost credit card -DON’T ask me later!
The next evening was the once a year free Flamenco festival, and like last year, Chinchon had marvelous artists. I was sorry the group missed it.
So now everyone has left and I’ll doing some small paintings…. instead of the 6 Seasons group from last year, now in Santander being readied for the September show, I’m doing 2 sets of 5 Seasons.
Going to London on Saturday to be closer to Stansted airport (from where I fly to Cyprus) after last year´s near catastrophe when my flight from Madrid was 4 hours late and I had to travel between airports by taxi. Flight was closed but by strange good fortune, and a suited man who rushed me through security waving his badge, I made it. I want to avoid these kinds of adventures from now on. So I’ll write from Cyprus, visiting my sister Rachael and her gang of 4 next week.
