San Jose del Cabo (Mexico) | Art Walk - Day 18

San Jose del Cabo is surrounded by beautiful mountains visible from the northeast part of the city. As a plane flies overhead today, I am reminded that San Jose is only 15 minutes from the Airport. Despite this, San Jose del Cabo is frequently overlooked as a destination in Baja Sur (Southern Baja).

Tonight is the Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo. It is one of the reasons why I chose to spend a few days here. I really enjoy the vibe of San Jose, though, the food is pricey in the center of town for Baja. Pricey,  as in plates are in the 360-540 Pesos ($20-$30 USD). Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the displays tonight.

When I step out of the hostel, the streets are alive with people. I have yet to see this many people in San Jose del Cabo. People around the surrounding area visit San Jose on Thursday evenings, including Cabo San Lucas, about 40 minutes away. The streets of San Jose look festive tonight. The lights, streamers, and buzz of the crowd are a welcomed change to this otherwise quiet town. 

One of the first things that catch my eye is the display of animals sculptures in a courtyard. When I enter the courtyard, I notice many sculptures are lifesize. There's a moose, deer, goat, several fish, and even a mermaid. When I take a closer look, I notice the pieces are composed of metal pieces that were individually welded. The pieces are stunning! Of course, I am drawn to the colorful pieces like this peacock.

I am mindful of my photos as I walk through the courtyard. Some artists prefer to keep their pieces from being photographed. As I walk up to the peacock, I notice a tan tag hanging on the piece, $12,000 USD (216,000 Pesos). Damn! My comparison to Taos, New Mexico was on point, I say to myself as I laugh from the shock. The asking price on the moose is $22,000 USD (396,000 Pesos). After taking a closer look and noticing all the intricacies of the welded pieces, I understand why they are so expensive. The artist must have many months invested in these pieces.

Juan Sotomayor's butterfish sculpture also catches my attention. This one is priced at a reasonable $,2250 USD ($405,000 Pesos). I love the colors and how it resembles steampunk fish. How would I get this home? 😂 Of course, if I was serious I wouldn't even worry about the shipping costs, right? Be sure to visit Juan's Facebook page to see his other incredible creations.

This painting by Pablo Alonzo catches my eye too. I love the contrast between the dark colors, white background, and bright reds. It also reminds me of another Mexican tradition, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Day). Dia de Muertos is celebrated between October 31 and November 6, though it shares little with Halloween. Instead, it is believed that on Dia de Muertos the boundaries between the living and the dead vanish. On this day the dead return to celebrate life with the living and living celebrate the memories of their dead relatives.

There are many street artists present too. This Mexican man is painting ceramic tiles using only his fingernail on his right pinky finger. Watching him work reminds me of the dinner plate I purchased for my mom in 1993 when I was in Mazatlan, Mexico. That artist used his fingers and fingernails. Mom still displays that plate I brought home after spending 6 weeks there. That is where I first learned to slow travel, without a car, and it feels great to be doing it again. Of course, it was easier back then as I was a travel tour guide and all our transportation was arranged. Nevertheless, living in a Mexico for that long and not relying on a car was awesome.

I am enjoying myself tonight. There are some seriously talented people all over this fantastic world. Tonight, I see various arts and crafts, all sorts of paintings, and sculptures. They fill the immense plaza, and many more galleries display works from a single artist.

This artist displays photos of old wooden doors from his travels. Each door is unique and printed on canvas and then framed. On the back, he writes the location and date of the frame. What a great idea! I have nearly 6,000 photos collected from my travels thus far. As I am reading my blog, I need to see if there are patterns. I could do something similar. 😲 

As I walk past a gallery, I see huge paintings. They are nearly 6 ft (2 m) tall. As I walk through the gallery, I am unsure what I am looking at. I need help deciphering the art style and what the artist is trying to convey. 

After making my way around the gallery, I catch a small write-up on the artist hanging on a wall. Frank Arnold is one of the world's foremost abstract figurative painter and sculptor. His works resemble both paintings and sculptures. As I read through the bio, he recommends looking at his art as a reflection of yourself. Frank Arnold says it is the best way to understand his art. He has a strong tie to the number 8, so each of his works has an 8 present somewhere in the piece. Some 8s are more subtle than others.

After reading the bio, I decide to take another look before leaving. Frank Arnold's pieces fall into place. I call this piece the Confident Traveler. What do you call it from your perspective? Notice the 8 on what I am calling the suitcase.

This piece also speaks to me. I call this one the Flaneur. I enjoy blending in and being nearly invisible as I observe locals doing what locals do when I travel. I laugh as it must be the Gemini in me that I would be drawn to two pieces that are so different. Be sure and check out Frank Arnold's website.

There is so much to see. This was indeed a great way to spend the evening. I had so much fun; I may do this again next week before my flight on Friday afternoon.