Our Art Gallery on Wheels.

GreenGlobalTrek Mexico 59 Comments

It all starts high up in the mountains of Oaxaca…

We are equipped with sketchbooks, new gouache paints and a variety of paintbrushes.

Sharon gets the paint flowing by creating small squares of varying shades to use as mini canvases for images. I follow suit. Pretty soon we have some interesting designs, as well as paintings and some sketches of the cala lilies that are growing in abundance behind our lodging in San Jose del Pacifico.

Outside our rooms, on the clay tile patio ~ armed with paints, brushes, and plenty of creative energy.

In Oaxaca city, we set up our paints in a more orderly fashion and convert the roof top patio into our makeshift outdoor art studio for three weeks. We keep going with the squares of colours, with images superimposed.

Images from Dias de Los Muertos start to infiltrate Sharon’s squares, whereas mine are initially graphic patterns and design. Little do we know at this point, that these paintings are the precursor of things to come….

Painting: Sharon Rosenzweig
Painting: Sharon Rosenzweig
Painting: Peta Kaplan
Painting: Peta Kaplan

From the moment we buy our used beat up car for this road trip, Ben has this fantasy that I will “pimp our ride” by painting the car with visuals of our roadtrip. I say fantasy because I have no intention of actually following though on another on of his grand schemes. However, he is pretty relentless and does not give up..

“Okay, paint the car already! Get going!! I am driving, you paint”, he says, daily. Maybe more than once….

Call me reluctant to take on such a big project.

When Sharon agrees to take on the challenge, this gets me more enthusiastic. Two of us collaborating is very different from me taking on the whole car. It would change it from being a “chore” to being a fun project together and we do have a history of painting together side by side very successfully. Sharon suggests we continue our squares theme and see where it takes us.. What starts out as a grudging acceptance becomes the most memorable and fun highlight of our time together!

With the pandemic’s impact on all Oaxacan museums and galleries and sites being closed, painting is our activity of choice. We will create our own art gallery, on wheels.

We set up shop on the street right outside our Airbnb. We have a few big cans of house paint in primary colours. First things first: we need to mix up some colours in order to have a range of tones.
Finally, we are ready to start putting paint brush to canvas, or in this case, to metal. Often, the hardest part of a project is getting started, well at least for me.
Painting begins by positioning rows and clusters of the squares following the curvature of the car, (to be used as backdrops for the images later on).
This side of the car has shades of blue and the other side will be shades of red. Small squares, medium squares and large rectangles. Breaking down something as large as a car, into panels and then into squares somehow makes the task much less daunting.

Each day we set an approximate desired start time for painting of the car. And then we show up. There is the heat of the day to be avoided, the chill of the early morning and sunset to consider and meals.

Sharon is off and running, with the theme of Dias de Los Muertos.  She continues with the skeletons she had painted very successfully on paper. Things are flowing well for her.

It takes me a while longer to find my groove. My first day is a disaster. I can’t figure out what images I want to use and nothing is working. I storm away in disgust at myself. “I can’t paint anymore! I’m done”. (For Ben this is a good sign because he knows I often hit a brick wall early on in the creative process and then that allows for a break through. )

Depending on the time of the day we move the car so that we are painting in shade.

The next day, I am ready to give it another go. I am interested in using some Mayan imagery ~ however, we are right at the start of the trip and the museums and sites are all closed. I had hoped to use museum and archaeological site visuals as my starting points for my first squares. I do some online research to see which Mayan images resonate with me.

As Sharon and I walk around the neighborhood each day, we take photos of murals and continuously gain inspiration and visual imagery. We want the car to reflect the places we have been so far in Mexico, our visual diary as well as create a bucket list of places we will hopefully get to, such as the archaeological sites and Mayan pyramids.

Sometimes, we work on the same side of the car next to each other, and other times we are on opposite sides, immersed in our own respective squares, only to surprise each other later with our creations of the day.

It’s hard work painting a car. Fortunately we are both okay squatting, sitting on the ground or on a wooden crate.

The car is getting a lot of attention from passers-by who ask to photograph it, video it, and voice their opinions as to which image is the one they like the most. In a neighbourhood filled with murals, the car is one more mural to take in.

After a few days of Sharon and I painting our way around the car, Ben decides to join in on the fun and leave his mark on the car too (in between his work zoom calls). He claims the front hood and top of the car as his territory. No small squares for this man ~ (always one to think “outside the box”).

Where are all these geometric designs coming from and where is this going?

~ ~

OK, so let’s take a first stroll through our Art Gallery on Wheels Much like a gallery has different rooms, so does the car have different panels.

These two panels, still in progress, reflect architecture in Oaxaca (the cathedral), corn, an essential Oaxacan crop, Mayan imagery and a landscape from the Oaxacan countryside.
Ben is working on the roof panel.
This panel most predominantly features Sharon’s skeletons (she becomes the master of painting skulls and skeletons), lilies and a chicken from the mountains. You see the first signs of Sharon’s humor in the lowest panel featuring a series of eyes, which eventually encompass the entire circumference of the car.
This panel incorporates Mayan images by Peta.
From Left to Right: The face found in the center of the Mayan calendar, cacao drinking, and Mayan mythological animals abstracted.
A mix of images from Peta on this panel.
L to R: A xolo (Mayan dog), Oaxacan landscape, pomegranates seen at a nearby weaving village, Mayan image seen at a museum in the countryside, cacti from the landscape and a nod to the waves in Zipolite, our point of departure and eventual return after this road trip.
L to R: The Oaxacan agave plant used to make mezcal,  images from neighborhood murals, a spiral and a Mayan chief by Peta.
Sharon really let it rip here and had a great morning of painting her fantastical creatures that will surely bring amusement to anyone driving behind us!
Ben’s starry night sky is a whole other galaxy on the roof only visible from above and is a nod to Mayan knowledge and the importance given to astronomy.
Our Art Gallery on Wheels has 143 distinct paintings in total, not counting the graphic border designs and eyes.

~ ~

We don’t plan out where to put anything and nor do we over think what imagery we are going to paint. It is more of an organic process which flows and works well for all of us. Sharon and I have the paintings from our sketchbooks and photographs of images, designs, landscapes that have inspired us so far on our road trip and other visuals of what we hope to encounter, such as more Mayan imagery.

Inspiration from nature…

On a day trip from Oaxaca what remains with me as the dominant visual are the huge “lollipop like” teal cacti plants against the soft yellows of the grass and the bright blue of the skies.
And another variety of vertical cacti we see in the landscape on one of our day trips into the countryside around Oaxaca City.
The colours and beauty of this landscape make me want to capture it for our gallery on wheels.
At this point of our trip Ben and I have not decided exactly where we will be going on to, after Oaxaca city. But there is a probability that we might catch a vista of the snow capped volcano in Orizaba.
And we did! It had way less snow than what was shown in the photo which I used for the painting but nonetheless was quite a dramatic sight.
Cala lilies and mushrooms from our stay at San Jose del Pacifico in the clouds.
Outside our room, was a unique and stunning view onto a field of wild white cala lilies.

Inspiration from Spanish colonial architecture…

The Santo Domingo de Guzman Cathedral in Oaxaca was the central point for many meanderings and restaurant discoveries.
Particularly beautiful when lit up at night.

Inspiration from Dia de los Muertos…

Dia de los Muertos skulls and skeletons make an appearance in multiple panels of the car
The inspiration for skeletons was all around us in our neighborhood of Jalatlaco.

These Dia de los Muertos skulls actually originate from the human sacrifices and associated decapitation that were an intrinsic part of Mayan rituals.

But the interesting thing, is that we only saw these in person much later on our road trip at the ruins of Chichin Itza. No doubt they were the prime source of inspiration for the mural artists in Oaxaca.

Inspiration from murals in the city of Oaxaca…

Catrina (painting on right) is an elegant and well-dressed woman, typical of the 19th century aristocracy.  Today, La Catrina is part of the popular culture of Mexico and has become the quintessential symbol of the celebration of the Day of the Dead. How could she NOT be in the our Gallery on Wheels?
We walked by this mural almost every day and it was one of our favorites with the bright orange marigolds and the xolo (dog) skeleton.
One of the most amazing sights in the mountains were the purple and orange bushes full of hummingbirds. As well, hummingbirds have major significance in Mayan mythology.
This mural which covered the whole facade of the house, provided the perfect hummingbird graphic design for the car.

Inspiration from Mayan archeological ruins…

The ruins near Oaxaca were closed while we were there. I painted this image as a way to manifest that they would be open elsewhere as our road trip continued through Mayan country. The Yucatan was calling us….
Pyramid at Chichin Itza. Open. It was on the car before we saw it in person.
At the time I painted this Mayan snake I had no idea how very important serpents are in Mayan mythology and therefore their architecture as well.
As soon as we see this first serpent, the paintings of snakes on the car, suddenly have way more meaning and context.
The jaguar very much a key animal in Mayan mythology, thus it found its way onto the car ~ before we saw it later, at multiple archaeological sites.
In Mayan mythology, the jaguar was seen as the ruler of the Underworld, and as such, a symbol of the night, sun and darkness.
The jaguar is representative of power, ferocity, and valor.

Inspiration from Mayan and Olmec artifacts…

Far right: Olmec warrior. As we begin our exploration of Mayan culture we learn that the Olmecs were contemporaries of the Mayans and contributed in many ways to Mayan civilization.
We saw this Olmec warrior cermamic piece at one of the museums at the ruins weeks later.

Inspiration from Mayan cacao culture…

Cacao was central to Mayan religion, political structure and economics.
The Mayans believed cacao was given to them by their gods. They enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers. They also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods.
Cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold.
This image of Mayan aristocracy drinking the cacao drink of the gods was the source for my painting above.
Right: profile of a Mayan warrior.
Mayan warrior carving in stone at Chichin Itza Mayan ruins in the Yucatan.

When you collaborate with a cartoonist with a wicked sense of humor, you find yourselves represented on the car’s side mirrors. Sharon whipped these caricatures up one morning and surprised us.

Even Esco makes it on the car…
Esco the road trip warrior tripod, in his favoured pose, as captured above by Sharon on the hood of the car.
When Ben covers the hood in snakes and I ask him “why snakes?” He has no good answer, but once we get to the ruins the answer becomes very apparent.
The serpent was a very important social and religious symbol, revered by the Maya. Maya mythology describes serpents as being the vehicles by which celestial bodies, such as the sun and stars, cross the heavens. The shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal.

And sometimes, the inspiration is not obvious, except that unidentifiable creatures suddenly appear through Sharon’s brush.

Only later do we encounter the pointed ear, long nosed creatures in question during a stroll through Mayan ruins in Tulum…

Some of the Art Gallery on Wheels inspiration is purely functional. Ben is wondering how to effectively camouflage the ugly rusted holes near the wheels of the car? Sharon tackles these with car munching gremlins…

Another functional feature ~ flying bird skeletons covering patches of ugly rust.

One final addition to the Art Gallery on Wheels is a beautiful series of bird paintings inspired by the ones that cross Sharon’s path during her daily walks through the park.

As Ben and I proceed on our road trip we start to see these Yucatan Jay black birds everywhere, with a long tail a blue hue and sometimes blue wings as well. We think of you Sharon, every time we see and hear them.

Our gallery-on-wheels project finished! Now we take it on the road...

At the market in Oaxaca City.
Countryside in Oaxaca.
Driving on the dirt roads in the hills and lake region of Catemaco, Veracruz.
In front of the monastery in Izamal, Yucatan
Outside our hotel in Campeche, Campeche.
At a home exchange in Chelem on the Gulf coast.
Outskirts of Valladolid, Quintana Roo
Crossing the Calakmul biosphere (jungle), Yucatan peninsula

5 video

https://youtu.be/tjN8-44nttA

The car has enabled us to do this 2020 road trip though Mexico at a surreal time when so many are in pandemic quarantine or lockdown. Without the car, we would have needed to use public transfport, which because of covid, would not have been feasible. Owning a car for the first time in over a decade has definitely been a novelty for us and has given us freedom of movement to stay safe and move at our own slow pace.

That said, the car has also been our single source of stress on this trip. We have had numerous mechanical problems, thankfully none of them major, but still we have had to find mechanics, car shops in multiple cities. We have waited for the car to be ready, it has sometimes delayed us and caused us to be driving on the road at night (once). The stress mostly came from wondering if we would make it to our next destination. The horrendous roads in the state of Tabasco with huge pot holes the size of craters challenge even new cars in great condition.

The car now has four brand new wheels, a new battery, a realigned suspension system, all sorts of new parts replacing the rusted ones. After over two months on the road and over 2,500 miles, the Art Gallery on Wheels is no longer growling at slow speeds, shaking dangerously at fast speeds, it is finally driving like a dream. And, we get a lot of thumbs up along our travels, including from the police at checkpoints.

As we write this we are close to wrapping up our epic two and a half month long exploration of Southern Mexico. It has been the trip of a life time with many more blog posts to come once we get back to our home base of Zipolite.

Gratitude and high five to my partner in crime and incredible artist Sharon Rosenzweig. Without you, our gallery probably would not have happened and with you it was the BEST fun and the highlight of our stay in Oaxaca City. Every time we go in our car, we think of you and get a chuckle. Kudos my friend!

We look forward to feedback on our Art Gallery on Wheels. Do you have any favourite images?

Ben is already talking about a bigger canvas ~ a used school bus. Sigh….

 

 

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59 thoughts on “Our Art Gallery on Wheels.”

  2. Slaght, Sue

    I have so enjoyed seeing this in progress on Instagram and the finished product! Imagine how many smiles you have brought to people’s faces over the journey. Nothing like car problems to add some stress to the journey. However balancing that against public transport at this time the benefits are obvious. Safe travels back to your beautiful home base. I’ll be watching for developments on the school bus front. 🙂

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      It is true that we have gotten a lot of attention due to our Art Gallery on Wheels and lots of smiles for sure. As well, we both enjoy looking at it each and every time we use the car, rather than having just a dull grey car with rust spots.

      Problem is, Ben would rather have MY side (the red tones) as he likes those paintings better… But I am not driving so he is stuck with side number one.

      Heading to home base in a few days and excited to be still after so much driving and moving around.

      Peta

      Reply
  4. TERRI VANCE

    Now THAT’S the way to paint a car, Peta! Absolutely brilliant. I love seeing the evolution of your designs – and the finishing touches are the icing on the cake. The rearview mirror is a nice touch, and I’m so glad that Esco made an appearance. 🙂 Thank you both for making 2020 so much more bearable. Wishing you a fabulous 2021. 🙂 Terri & James

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Well thank you Terri and James! The evolution of designs was quite a fun process, glad we captured that gradual building up of the gallery on wheels. Sharon being a cartoonist added those cool portrait touches… Ben and me and finally Esco too.

      Fabulous 2021 to both of you as well.

      Peta & Ben

      Reply
  5. Debbie Harris

    What a great looking car! I particularly like the portraits on the side mirrors! I really enjoyed reading through the whole story from start to go! Take care as you return to your home base.

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Thanks Debbie, it was fun to paint and it is fun to look at for us and others! yes, aren’t those portraits awesome! Glad you enjoyed the whole process from start to finish…

      Peta

      Reply
  6. Gilda Baxter

    I love, love, love this joint project. Creative minds together, what can possibly go wrong? I followed your Gallery On Wheels on social media and I think this car is going to became legendary, you probably never want to sell it. Really interesting to read about your creative process Peta. Also really enjoyed all the Dia de Los Mortos paintings. Absolutely fabulous idea.

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Gilda it’s funny you mention us not wanting to sell it. At one point in the trip after it had done its infamous crazy shaking and rattling and had also refused to start, we contemplated leaving the car in the Yucatan and flying back. The thought of the looonnnng journey back in a shady car was not appealing.

      But, we decided we did not want to lose the gallery and so instead we kept going to car mechanics and finally the sequence of repairs seemed to do the trick! And so our gallery will come home with us after all.

      Thanks for your enthusiastic feedback Gilda.

      Peta

      Reply
  7. Pamela

    Not to gush too much (but I am a gusher where warranted), I think this post is brilliant. The art work is brilliant. The images of “the real” used to inspire “the art” is brilliant. I think your artwork – and the process in creating it – belongs in a museum so many many can see creativity/art/beauty/”outside the box originality” at its best. Bravo!

    Reply
      1. roughwighting

        I can’t wait for each of your posts when they come. I received a “test” e-mail with daffodils on it today for your website – but it didn’t lead to a post, so not sure what’s going on. Hopefully all is well. xo

        Reply
  8. Greenglobaltrek

    Franki P:

    Gorgeous Pete, I smiled all the way through this one. I can just imagine the fun you and Sharon must’ve had painting the gallery on wheels together and as a previous childhood art peer of yours, I wish I could’ve been ‘playing in the sandpit’ together with you. Mr. Jones would be proud of your delivery. What a blast. I love the fact that you are just reliving your childhood as an adult and moving in whatever direction the wind takes you in. I love your and Ben’s wonderful spirit for life and freedom. G-d bless you both for being kids at heart and living your dream.

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Franki your comments just made me smile ear to ear. As my initial art partner in painting crime (I remember very well the huge posters we used to make together for our rooms as teenagers in Johannesburg and then eventually to decorate the classroom) I know you would have loved being a part of this.

      We did manage to have a reunion in Viet Nam, so who knows, maybe we will one day get to welcome you in Mexico! A bit far from Australia but you can’t blame me for dreaming.

      Thanks for the heartwarming feedback and loop to our teen years together in South Africa

      Pete

      Reply
  9. Greenglobaltrek

    Lois:

    I loved this blog read. What a spectacular story about art and collaboration between Sharon Ben and you. Pure magic! My fav is the two dog paintings on the roof but all of it is remarkable. Wow P

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Thanks Lois. Nothing better than a collaboration that flows smoothly. Magic indeed.
      Glad you like the cameo appearance of Esco on the front of the car thanks to Sharon.

      xoxo

      Reply
  10. Lexklein

    I have loved this car project since the minute I saw it on Instagram! You are all so talented and creative, and you’ve taken an ugly duckling (can I say that about your beloved car?!) and made it a swan. I would have loved to pitch in; it looks like it was a blast. I didn’t know you were going to be able to go back to Zipolite – how wonderful! Happy New Year Peta and Ben!

    Reply
    1. Greenglobaltrek

      Hahaha, Lex an ugly duckling indeed… not sure it’s made it to swan but we definitely pimped our ride! And had so much fun doing it..

      In case Zipolite closed, which it hasn’t, we do have our identification cards that show we arrived there in March. We won’t be going back to our same house though for now.

      So nice to know there’s are enjoying our car too and if you come to Mexico you can add your touch!

      Peta & Ben

      Reply
  11. Johnny-O

    A true Work of Art, you two! (three)
    Each vignette so personal, yet to anyone who sees it such a celebration of being in their land. I should think those Mexicans love you for this.
    I like the “selfie” of you painting the mirror.
    You may have started something here. Imagine people in L.A. or Japan deciding to personalize their own cars. How wonderful!

    Reply
    1. Greenglobaltrek

      Thank you so much Johnny.

      The pairings of Ben and I in the mirrors are done by our good friend Sharon Rosenzweig a talented cartoonist. I like the idea of it catching on. Sharon you might have started a trend here! Line up everyone with your wheels.

      Peta

      Reply
  12. Carol

    Oh my goodness. This may be the most remarkable blog post I’ve ever read. Your story and art are a true gift to humanity, not only to readers of your blog but to the people that inevitably find delight when you drive by or park on their street. I’m so impressed with your story. Thanks so much for sharing it. I’ll be passing it on to my many friends who I know will appreciate it. Ciao.

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Thank you for such exuberant and glowing praise Carol. We had the best time collaborating on this project and seeing it through and it has been very satisfying to see how many others smile and react positively when they see our car.

      Please do pass the blog on to friends that will enjoy it and hope you and they will sign up to receive future posts. Welcome to our Green Global Trek!

      Peta & Ben

      Reply
  13. Bespoke Traveler

    Oh my gosh, what a project to take on! And I think it’s hysterical that Ben already has plans for a school bus. 😆 Your photos bring back sweet memories of my own time exploring Oaxaca – which quickly became one of my favorite places on earth – https://tinyurl.com/ydd43unl.

    Really liking the cactus plants and the black birds.

    Reply
  14. Caroline Helbig

    I love what you’ve done with your car!!!! Both your creative process and the final result are remarkable. I don’t doubt you get a lot of thumbs up. I’m sure your car has and will continue to bring smiles to all who see it. Almost a year ago now, Mike and I rented a van for a short camping trip to Death Valley (I wrote about it). The company we rented from hand paints different themes on all their rental vehicles. Every time I looked at our duck-themed van I had big grin on my face. It made me happy. I remember Mike and I wondering why there aren’t more creatively painted vehicles out there. Maybe I should hire you guys to do my car when you visit Vancouver!
    Happy New Year Peta and Ben! All the very best!

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Thanks for the lovely compliment Caroline. The whole project from start to finish flowed very easily and smoothly.

      Interesting about the van that you rented, because that was exactly Ben’s perspective on the car. What is the point of having a boring dull gray car, especially one that is rusted and rather um ugly…? Such a great idea to have different themes painted on rental vans.. we will have to go back and check out your duckmobile. I think I recall seeing that on your blog.

      Happy to bring our brushes with us if we do one day finally get to Vancouver haha.

      Happy new year to you both as well!! Big hugs
      xoxoxo

      Reply
  15. Liesbet

    This is soooo freakin’ awesome! You two (three) artists are unbelievably creative. Can’t go to the art gallery? Bring the art gallery home! Create your own! 🙂 I think this car will sell for mucho dinero once you are ready to part with it. So nice to have this wonderful memory of your painting time with Sharon surrounding you every day. And, talk about a conversation starter on the road. Well, I’m certainly in awe and wouldn’t mind scrutinizing your vehicle in person one day. It also boggles my mind how Esco likes to lie in the sun with his black coat…

    Have a fun, adventurous, and creative 2021, you two.

    Reply
  16. greenglobaltrek

    Thanks Liesbet, we think our car is awesome too! If only the mechanics was as awesome as well. We just had a grueling nine hour drive back to Zipolite yesterday that should have taken only four hours and long story short, we made it. But the car did not. Crapped out just an hour away after a valiant 2500 mile journey!

    Do come and check out the gallery in person!

    Yes Esco does love to lie in the sun, black fur coat and all…

    Thank you Liesbet, and to you as well!

    Peta

    Reply
  17. Patti

    I love everything about this, but what I keep coming back to in my mind is the phrase, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

    You made lemonade on so many levels! Well-done.

    Reply
  18. Sharon Doolittle

    Peta and Ben,
    Wow, look what you and your friend, Sharon, created in just 3 weeks…a museum on wheels! I loved your story of sketching, making rectangles big and small, and walking the neighborhood and taking photos of local murals for inspiration. You created a whole gamut of colors for your palettes with just a few cans of paint! You included so many Mayan images from their customs, ruins, and mythology. And topped off the hood and roof with snakes and a starry night. Your moving museum is going to end up on a lot of Instagram pages, from the locals and fellow travelers. Only good friends who are artists could pull this off and still have fun. Bravo!!!

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Sharon thank you for the extensive and complimentary comments. Glad you had a chance to see the whole process not just the end result and how nice that you appreciate it so much. The car definitely brings smiles to many faces and we often find a car surrounded by a group of people all taking the time to look at the images and taking photos of them.

      Peta

      Reply
  19. Amit

    Your spirit of adventure and experimentation arises at every turn, P & B! I absolutely love your gallery on wheels, and how it came about – what a joy to create such a MOVING tribute to the Mayan culture, and with your dear friend to boot. I loved the squares, and then the images.. so many of them; Esco, the birds, the skeletons.. but the crunching car gremlins really made me laugh 😉 So glad to have read more details (than what’s on IG), and to have tagged along for your epic road trip. Muy bien muchacho y guapa!

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Amit, we like that “Moving” tribute good one! Nice to know that so many of the images resonate with you and that you appreciate the humor of the the munching gremlins.. there are six of them in total all around the car, somewhat of an “invading army”…

      Thanks for your feedback, we really enjoyed it.

      P & B

      Reply
  20. Erica/Erika

    Hi Peta and Ben, I tried to access your site the past few weeks and no luck Safari and Google Chrome?

    Having an artist friend, Sharon, who ‘gets it’ makes everything more fun. Wow, your artwork is amazing, surreal, fun! I beyond love the concept of “pimp our ride.” I beyond love “create our own art gallery, on wheels.” I can see how finding your groove is important. The actual photos and then the paintings……surreal and beautiful! All I can think about is you have something extra special here. John Lennon’s car, no comparison. Apples and oranges. I love it!

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Thanks for your delightful feedback. For sure having Sharon on board made it happen and made all the difference to the process. Thanks for the lovely compliments. Finding my groove.. yeah that’s probably the key factor. Got off to a rough start but made up for it!

      Yup we have been having some IT challenges.. hopefully all will get resolved soon. SIGH!

      Peta

      Reply
  23. Steve Berger

    First and foremost I’m glad you’re safe. I am constantly in total awe of what the two of you do and your creativity and talent. Your love of life shimmers throughout.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Thanks Steve, you and our moms 🙂
      Ahhh talent is one thing but actually getting on with doing it is the much bigger battle. I always enjoy the process but it is tough to get started and also to stick with it to completion. These are skills that go beyond talent and creativity. But it all helps.

      Yup loving this phase of our lives.

      PK

      Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Very true Jo, so many people even now with our car stationary in our home base, stop to look and take photos of it and want to talk about the content.

      This was plenty big enough, however, I have painted wall murals before and those too are time consuming but great fun.

      PK

      Reply
    2. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Yup the car draws a lot of attention even here back at our home base, while it is parked. A car is about as big as I will go. Mind you I did paint our walls in Nicaragua for him some years back when he wanted a mural!

      PK

      Reply
    1. greenglobaltrek

      Exactly. Most of the images do mean something except for those that are done in fun or are more design oriented. Of the 145 paintings, two thirds are directly linked to our travels although most of these images were painted before we actually got to see the Mayan ruins in person. It definitely made visiting the ruins way more meaningful to us.

      PK

      Reply
  26. Laurel

    This is SO much fun!! I was following your posts on Instagram but this is way better, to see bigger images of your art gallery on wheels and to get all of the back story. It made me laugh and it made me happy. I love the way you guys embrace life and create art along the way. A school bus next, hahahaha!!! That will keep you busy! Sharon needs to return to help! If I have to choose a favorite, it might be the rearview mirrors with the caricatures of you two. 🙂

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Laurel we so enjoyed your feedback it made US smile in return. I’m not rushing to take on a bigger vehicle hahah but if you guys drive here, we can try to tackle your vehicle 🙂 Yes the rearview mirrors are way fun.

      PK

      Reply
  28. Darlene Dale Foster

    I love your art gallery on wheels. What a fun project. I’m glad Esco is included. My daughter, the artist, painted her first car. She painted a peace symbol on the hood and a huge smiley face on the roof among other things. We just adopted a second dog. An abandoned three-year-old bodeguero who was very skinny when we got her. She is happy to have a bowl of food every day, a warm bed to sleep in and a patient big sister, Dot, to play with. Her name is Lia and she is very sweet. Hope all is well in Mexico!

    Reply
  29. Jolandi Steven

    I love how not owning a car in over a decade has not just given you freedom of movement, but also of imagination. Your ‘art gallery on wheels’ is an apt tribute to the country sheltering you during these uncertain times. And how wonderful that you could create even more special memories with your good friend Sharon. Well done! I love the end result and suspect everyone who you encounter on your travels with it will too.

    Reply
    1. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

      Jolandi yes, as nomads we have frequently experienced the joys of rediscovering the utility of stuff we have not had due to our lifestyle. The car, as you mention, and before that, an oven, which also led to creativity in the kitchen.

      Really appreciate your phrasing of the car being an apt tribute to Mexico. Thank you! Mexico has surprised us beyond our wildest expectations and we have fallen in love with the country and very grateful to be here. Now.

      Peta

      Reply
  30. Dr Sock

    What a tribute to the art, culture, and landscapes of Mexico. Not only that, it’s a visual travelogue and a collaborative art piece created with a dear friend. Bravo!

    It reminds me of something I did as a first-year undergraduate student. I lived in university residence and our walls were made of cinderblock, painted a pale institutional yellow. I began to paint scenes on each of the little rectangles — on my roommate’s side of the room. I used water-based paint so it could be washed off at the end of term. But when it was time to move out, my roommate refused to let me wash them off. She insisted we leave them for the next residents.

    Jude

    Reply
  31. GreenGlobalTrek Post author

    Thanks Jude for the thoughtful and “spot on” comments. A “visual travelogue” I love that description!

    Thank you for sharing the story of you how you painted the residence walls in your dorm ~ what a nice surprise for the next students. Now you have us wondering what you painted??

    Peta

    Reply

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