Ecuador: Guayasamin, the Artist

When I decided to make a return visit (my third) to Ecuador last month, I was determined to see it with new eyes. My first visit in 1994 was for the purpose of meeting our exchange student daughter's family and to see a place that I knew would be much different than Northwest Ohio. I came home from that trip forever changed.

Gabriela and me outside the front door of her home
in Guayaquil in 1994.

I got to see several different areas of the country on that first visit, as we traveled in and near Quito, the capital and Karina's home. But I also got to see the Pacific coast when we drove down to Guayaquil to meet Gabriela, the little girl that our family sponsored through Compassion International.

The second trip to Ecuador was in 2003, when Karina married Marcelo, and I experienced an Ecuadorian wedding. I got to meet another fabulous family in Marcelo's parents and siblings, who are Brazilian.

But this third time, I would be returning as a gardener. In previous trips, I did notice the wonderful flora the Ecuador has, even making Karina turn the car around when I saw a poinsettia the size of a very mature lilac shrub. You just don't see that here in Ohio! But more about the plant life later.

My mom went with me on this trip - it was her first time in Ecuador - and in addition to all the wonderful flowers and plants, we were quite aware of the art. It's an important part of the culture in Ecuador. Our first day there, we had a laid-back day, allowing for the adjustment to the altitude. Coming from 735 feet above sea level to Quito, which is at an altitude of 9,350 feet, it took us a couple of days to rid ourselves of the nagging headache. Breathing wasn't a problem, unless we were climbing steep inclines and then we were ridiculously out of breath.

The home of Guayasamin

Karina took us to the home of Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-1999), considered to be the greatest of Ecuadorian artists. His home, built on a hill with a beautiful view overlooking Quito, is now open to the public as a museum, as well as the museum that Guayasamin began building while he was still alive, La Capilla del Hombre ("The Chapel of Man").

  

 

I wish there had been small reproductions of the bird sculpture for sale.  I would have bought one.

View of El Panecillo from Guayasamin's home

Guayasamin's work depicts the cruelty of man towards his fellow humans, but it also shows his belief in the potential for greatness within humanity and the hope that he had for a better world. It is a very distinctive art style and many have tried to imitate it.

Inside the chapel, which showcases his work

I love this dandelion sculpture, complete with grass.

Photos were not allowed to be taken inside the home or the chapel (Oops!  I took one!), but a Google search will result in many examples of his work. 

NEXT: Puertolago, Condor Park, and Otavalo.

The Winter That Was, Is, and Is To Come

Where did January go?  Or the beginning of February?  It seems like it was just Christmas, then New Year's, then it started to snow.  And the bottom dropped out of the thermometer. Then it snowed some more and the wind blew.

I confess that I wasn't around for three weeks of this winter loveliness (???) but thanks to the internet and the Viber app, I heard and saw more of what I experienced before I started my travels. There were pictures that I had hoped to post, showing a beautiful snow we experienced in the first week of January, but the snow we got next put that one to shame.

Then I left.

As many of you know, Mom and I spent two weeks in Ecuador, visiting Karina and her family, who live in Quito, Ecuador's capital.  Karina lived with Romie and me and our two daughters for a year in 1993-94.  She became a beloved member of our family and I've gotten to make the trip to visit her three times now - once every 10 years or so.

I'll be blogging about our adventures there in several posts, so for now I'll just say if you EVER get a chance to go to Ecuador, jump on it.  Don't think twice.  Just do it.  I promise you won't be sorry.  It's a beautiful place and so are its people.

Just three days after we returned from Ecuador, Mom and I were once again winging our way to another destination - the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, Wash.  My co-writer, Jenny Peterson, and I were speakers there, giving two presentations related to our book, Indoor Plant Décor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants.

Jenny (on the right) and I talk about "What Style Am I?"

This flower show marks the beginning of the spring season for me, with its fabulous display gardens and speaker presentations that fuel my imagination for the coming season's gardens. Even though we still have a couple of feet of snow on the ground, I just know that the snowdrops are pushing their way through the soil under all that and in a few weeks, crocus will be blooming in shades of gold, white, and purple.

Hang with me in the next few weeks as I take you on a tour of life in the Andes Mountains and the Amazon rainforest at the middle of the earth and then show you the beautiful things I saw in Seattle.  I won't lie to you - those three weeks away were likely what has allowed me to keep my sanity during this winter of one giant snowstorm after another.

We're sure to have more winter, but by the time I finish sharing my experiences with you, it will almost be spring and time for grandchild number two to enter the world.  Hannah's going to get a new cousin!

Older daughter Kara and Baby Fritz!
27 Jan 2014

Wordless Wednesday: 'Gold Medal' Amaryllis

Each year I treat myself to one new amaryllis bulb, adding to the collection I've amassed over the years. When I bought this year's bulb last fall, I never gave it a thought that the name would hold any special meaning.  But the irony was not lost on me, when on the opening day of the Olympics, 'Gold Medal' also opened.  It's a winner...

Hippeastrum 'Gold Medal'