Artists San Miguel

A Peter Leventhal

What a wonderful day Bev and I had yesterday. First stop was Saturday Market, a teeming spot to sit with strong coffee and two great cinnamon rolls with rasas raisins. Bev and I sat down at a table in the shade that we shared with a very pretty young woman, a gringa. I commented to her that she had beautiful blue eyes. She traveled as Mary and she her destination would be the tip of Argentina. From there she hoped to catch a ride to Antartica. We enjoyed talking with her. She was 28 and had the same way of talking as my daughter Erica. She had traveled throughout Asia and now from San Miguel her goal was to walk, bus or travel by car...alone!

So much like Erica who traveled alone through eastern Europe.

We told her we were next going to the Aldea and the book fair put on by the Literary Sala. Mary asked if she could tag along. My gosh, we met people we knew outside the doors of the market, then another on the street on the way. Sheila met Mary and when she heard she was going to Columbia, raved about the not to be missed coffee plantations. Then when we walked into the room where books and art was being sold we met Marcia Loy and Steven. I introduced Mary to Marcia and said that Mary was headed to Antartica. Marcia had been there and enthused to Mary about the place. We introduced her to John Scherber and Kristine, and Lynda Schor. In the end, Mary siad the was headed next to Parque Jaurez to look at the art. We wished her a safe trip and silently said a prayer for her safety. She has more courage than I.

While at the Literary Sala I met Margaret Paul author of Conversations with Artists in San Miguel de Allende. More of her book later. I met Sher Davidson author of Under the Salvadoran Sun. She is a transported Oregonian, who lived on 30th between Siskiyou and Stanton. We lived on 32nd Ave between Brazee and Knott. I met Pat Hirschl author of Winter Bloom, who will be reading at the Literary Sala on Thursday Decembwer 10th. I met artist Susan Dorf who every other week has a cartoon in the Attencion. Finally, I bought two books from Lynda Schor and Bev bought a handmade bracelet from Kristine Scherber.

Christmas At Fabrica Aurora

Then it was on to the Art Walk at Fabrica Aurora. This is a wonderful event each month. You get to talk with the artists in their studios. There was Mary Rapp, at 90 still producing cutting edge art. Mary Calderoni was beautiful as always and she and Bev have a special bond. The were Crystalized every week. Crystal Calderoni led them through intense workouts. We spoke with Cecilia Rivera about her art. There were several that would fit in a home of our own. I had a wonderful chat with two men, partners for thirty years, who got married on July 3rd in New York, three years ago. After they were married, New York seemed to celebrate the next day with a massive display of fireworks.

A Peter Leventhal

Finally, I chatted with Peter Leventhal. I've been following the progress of a very large painting that he has been working on for more than three months. I would love to have it. He is a sweet man, suffering from Parkinsons. He talks so softly, I really have to concentrate to get all he says. I was looking online at Margaret Paul's Conversations with Artists in San Miguel de Allend and found that it has a chapter on Peter. It helped me understand Peter's influences, Raul Dufy. I would love to have something of his, too.

To top the evening Marsha, Darryl, Bev and I took a taxi to La Gratta for pizza and Esther, the owner, shook our hands and welcomed us to the best pizza in SMA.