My friend came to visit last week and the weather was so good we sat on the porch for days and played with watercolors. There were a few last sketches I had wanted to do from Guatemala and Ixcacao was one of them. When I was in Guatemala we went to the Chocolate Museum and there was a statue that I fell in love with. At the time I didn't even know her name, but I was struck by the voluptuous cacao pods all over her body. When I looked her up I found out she used to walk those who were being sacrificed to the top of the pyramid where she held their hands while they took their last drink. The chocolate drink helped give them enough strength to overcome their fear of death. If you are interested in her story you can read more about her here.
The image above is the whole sketch in my sketchbook. When I was at the chocolate museum I bought some chocolate jam and the bag had their cute logo on it. I liked it so much I tore it off to put in my sketchbook.
Below is a drawing I did of a fruit vendor in Antigua. I thought the tile-roofed carts were adorable.
My friend Joan on the trip made everyone copies of this wonderful list by Keri Smith about "How To Be An Explorer of the World". Another friend I met on the trip, Rosemary, gave me the Japanese envelope you see below and Joan's list fit perfectly inside. You can also see a sketch I did of a tuk tuk. I am always amazed that these little carts can handle the cobblestone streets of Guatemala. I ended up walking everywhere so I didn't get a change to ride in one.
My heart goes out to everyone affected by the recent eruption of Volcan Fuego. While I was there I could see lava spurting out the top of the volcano at night. I had no idea that is would erupt a few months later. A friend recently shared this link to this Guatemala Relief Fund if you are interested in donating.
If you would like to read the other posts about this trip here are the links: