I’m drawing a quick sketch of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Devine in St. John’s, Antigua. Quick because the wall behind me was almost as hot as the sun and the humidity was up there, too.  Thanks to Charlie for the photo and waiting in the hot sun. The church was closed for repairs so we could not get inside. It was beautiful on the outside. I hope, but doubt, it will be repaired any time soon.

Sailing away from St. Thomas.

We are steaming south from Miami to St Thomas. We’re going to fall off the world . Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Wow. I went to El Gaucho Restaurant in Aruba for lunch. It features Argentinean steaks. I had the the 22 oz t-bone. It was unbelievable.  Each bite was better than the last, and I finished the whole thing.

El Gaucho is located at  80 Wilhelminastreet, Oranjestad, Aruba. It’s been around since 1977. [http://www.elgaucho-aruba.com/index.html]

I’m in the capital city, St. George’s. No drawing, just eating today. I have painted here in the past (see my Caribbean portfolio). I’m standing in front of “the tunnel.” It’s the quickest way to get the other side of the fortress hill, but it will test you…. it is a one-way, narrow car tunnel. Walking with one’s body as close to the wall as possible is suggested. Mindless tourists are targets for drivers… really! I’ve seen cars deliberately swerve towards people walking too far from the wall.  Below is the reward, the Ocean Grille, a Caribbean-style cafe. It has an unpretentious, weird, funky vibe. If you visit Grenada on a cruise ship, I recommend a walk through the tunnel to the Ocean Grille.

About to enter "the tunnel"

Panorama of the Ocena Grill restaurant

Church of the Immaculate Conception in Castries, St. Lucia. I sat in the parking lot across the street. A steady stream of people passed by (see the boy in my previous post). Some stopped and looked and chatted. Looking at this painting, I was struck that I did not include anyone.

I decided to paint the Church of the Immaculate Conception (see last post). It could use a little cleaning, but it’s exterior belies its beautiful interior. The fun part about painting in a city is that you meet all sorts of people. They range from interesting to “interesting”. This little boy was with his two pals, heading home from school. Schools were getting out and there were tons of kids from 7 to 17 all over downtown. There was a town square about one block behind me. It was fun and festive. A guy was playing a bongo. People were dancing, talking, laughing. There were four cruise ships in port – a bounty for the local economy for sure.

This is the interior of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Online reviews of the church ran from “great” to “so-so”. I thought the interior was beautiful; rich browns and blues, frescos, lots of red votive candles near the altar, and light from windows above. My photo does not do it justice (hey, I’m a painter not a photographer, my camera is my phone).

I suggest a vist if you get to Castries, St. Lucia. Don’t be put off by the neighborhood or the people. It is a poor place, but everyone I met was very friendly.

1. The merchant seaman who became THE Surrealist to whom the next generation of artists turned to for inspiration…..  Yves Tanguy
Born:  January 5, 1900, Paris
Died:  January 15, 1955, Woodbury, Connecticut, USA

2. He re-touched a portrait because it was too risqué, which made it all the more famous. She was a married society woman in Boston…..  John Singer Sargent
January 12, 1856, Florence, Italy
Died: April 14, 1925, London, England

3. He is called the Father of Modern Art. He liked to paint apples….  Paul Cézanne
Born:  January 19, 1839, Aix-en-Provence, France
Died: October 22, 1906, Aix-en-Provence, France

4. His painting, Luncheon on the Grass, is one of the two paintings that mark the beginning of modern art….. Édouard Manet
Born:  January 23, 1832, Paris, France
Died:  April 30, 1883, Paris, France

5. She was the first female sculpture student at the Munich Art Academy. And it gets more interesting from there…. Elisabeth Ney
Born:  January 26, 1833, Münster, Westphalia, Germany
Died:  June 29, 1907, Austin, Texas, USA

6 .  Also known as Jack the Dripper …. Jackson Pollock
January 28, 1912, Cody, Wyoming, USA
August 11, 1956, East Hampton, New York, USA