Mapocho colorido

Mapocho Colorido

Oils

160 x 80 cm 
nfs

I think this painting has been something of a milestone in my art.  For a start, the scale of it, but mainly because it´s a very personal piece, based on a cityscape of Santiago, Chile, my husband`s home, and my adopted one for nine years.  At the moment, it hangs in our kitchen, and everytime I look at it, I remember the Andes after the rain on a clear, sunny day in autumn or winter.  I love cala lilies, and lots of people grow them in their gardens there.  The Mapocho river is definitely not this blue in real life! but colour is very important to me, and I wanted to evoke a sense of happiness, peace and quietness, even in a big city.  I painted this in 2008, the year  before we left Chile and only wish I had had more time to do more paintings based on landscapes and my experiences there.  But I was too busy teaching English and then being a first time mum!  Hopefully we will be going back soon for holidays and I can cram a few sketchbooks in my case. In the meantime, there`s always memory and imagination!