Sergio’s Isla Art

Sergio, Tiffany Wareing's photo

He has an irrepressible smile that lights up his weathered face; whether he is teaching batik, painting a mural, or riding his bicycle, he is always smiling. 

Sergio was born sixty-two years ago in Champotoń in the state of Campeche into a family of three sisters and three brothers. His family moved to Isla Mujeres when he was a young boy, and he has lived on the island, on and off, for over fifty years.  When he was a younger man, Sergio worked on several construction projects in the Tulum area. 

Sergio, the Isla Mujeres Art Fair photo

And then there was a seven-year period when he lived twenty-five meters above ground, in a very primitive tree-house.  

When asked by a friend why he lived so high up, he replied with a face-splitting grin. 

“You have to get above the snakes!”  

That’s about eighty-two feet above the ground, a long way down if you roll over in the night, forgetting you are high up in the trees. 

Sergio, photo Ceceila Hart-Hodges

Keenly interested in anything to do with art since he was a small child, Sergio has mastered the Indonesian technique of Rōkézūzūmi batik.   

His gorgeous wall hangings are complex and brightly coloured, depicting Maya themes.  

They can be purchased at the Isla Mujeres Art Fair, which takes place on the first Thursday of every month between November and April. The Art Fair is located at the Casa de Cultura in Centro, on the eastern side of the island near the municipal esplanade.

Sergio, teaching kids at the Casa de Cultura

Sergio has also done several wall murals, the most recent being the Maya goddess IxChel on the house next door to our casa.  

And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he teaches classes in batik or tie-dying at the Casa de Cultura.  

The information is available on his Facebook page, thanks to John and Valerie Pasnau, who are the energy behind promoting Sergio’s artworks.

Recent students, Danielle, Barbara, and Carol

Here’s the information for art lessons from Sergio:

There are two classes a week, every week, on Tuesday and Thursday.

Start time is 10 am, Gringo time. 
Finish time is when we finish, Mexican time, about three hours.

Fee is 350 pesos plus 50 pesos to cover materials. You will make a batik or tie-dye wall hanging.

Sergio's work - photo Isla Art Fair

Classes are held in the Cultural Center in Centro. The classroom door is in the center courtyard.  

If the front door is closed, walk around to the Caribbean side. The courtyard is open on that side.

We hope you will let us know in advance if you plan to come, but drop-ins are welcome. 

So, either way, get some beautiful art; purchase one of Sergio’s creations, or make your own fabulous wall hanging.  

What a great souvenir of a vacation in paradise.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, and Sparky

Sergio - fascinating mural at John & Valerie's house

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Mexico, the art of communication and miscommunication

“Please put the toilet paper on the waste basquet.” 

A sign posted inside the public washrooms at one of our favourite island restaurants always makes me giggle when I read it.  Just one small word, on instead of in, and the whole purpose of the sign is destroyed, in a humorous way. 

Seasoned travelers automatically get what the sign is trying to communicate: put your used toilet paper in the waste basket. There is no sewer system in many parts of the island, or in many other parts of Mexico, only holding tanks. Business owners ask their customers to place all used paper products inside the waste paper cans. This will reduce the number of times the tank must be pumped out and the number of times the system overflows onto the street. It’s not our favourite thing about living in Mexico, but it is what it is.

Another confusing sign can be seen at the crumbling edge of the Punta Sur cliffs.  It severely admonishes: “Do Not Close to the Cliff!”  Sure, I won’t close to the cliff, if I only knew what that meant.  It does sound kind of scary, though.  Maybe the sign painter meant - don’t walk close to the cliff? Don’t run close to the cliff? Or maybe, don’t stand at the unprotected edge of the cliff as people have been known to fall off trying for that perfect tourist selfie.  

Other signs on the island deliberately use humor to get the point across. “Live Nudes! We don’t have any, but we do have frozen drinks.”  

Bet that sign makes a lot of guys do a neck-twisting double-take as they putter along Rueda Medina in their rented golf carts.  

Or the sign that used to be across from the passenger ferry terminal where thousands of Cancun day-trippers arrived hourly; “Husband day care, while you shop.” I’m sure more than one shopping-bored husband pointed to the sign and said, “See, honey, they will take care of me while you look for souvenirs.” Then, gleefully handing over a fistful of cash, waved goodbye, “Have a nice time, dear.  I’ll be right here.”

M. Watt photo

But the signs we enjoy the most as the hand-painted, kid-produced signs reminding everyone to protect and care for local critters.  There are signs about iguanas printed in rudimentary English: “Take care me, make part of your world.” Signs about the crocodiles living in the marsh near Hacienda Mundaca.  And hand-painted signs about the annual migration of the protected blue crab, posted at both Sac Bajo and Punta Sur, remind drivers to slow down and let the critters cross the road.  

Watch out for migrating crabs

The large blue and the smaller red crabs like to make the trek, from land to ocean and back again, during moonlit summer nights. Unfortunately, not all of the crustaceans survive this summertime ritual. Some get squished, providing tasty morning snacks for squabbling birds or cannibalistic crabs. In case you missed the words “protected blue crabs” and are considering a tasty feast, think again. And besides, after watching the crabs feast on iguana poop, er, no thanks, I’ll pass.

Signs – the art of communication and miscommunication.  It is one of the challenges of translating from your own language to another language.  Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.  

I have, on occasion, okay many times, written or said something in my rudimentary Spanish that means something other than what I intended to say.  Like the time I posted in a blog that I was feeling very hot, as in temperature, but the Google translation said I was hot, as in sexy. Our friend Vivian emailed the correct words, and I fixed the blog post. We had a good giggle over that little error.

That’s what is so great about living in a small community on a tropical island: friends laugh with you.  

It is all a part of communication – mistakes and all.

Hasta Luego

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas

Pretty clear message - D Adler photo

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Isla explodes with creativity and colour; Murals for Oceans project!

Artist: Saner, on Palacio Municipal  Photo L.Lock

In an explosion of colour and mythical creatures, the Sea Walls – Murals for Oceans project blasted its way onto Isla Mujeres. 

Fifteen artists from the USA, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Spain arrived on Isla in mid-July for the start of a nine-day urban art festival. 

The event would eventually see the creation of a multitude of eye-popping murals decorating blank walls of various public and private buildings.

Ruben Perez, the Director of Culture for the Municipality of Isla Mujeres, was approached last February by the sponsoring organization asking for assistance for the program; assistance in gaining permission to paint specific walls on public and private buildings. 

Pangeseed: protection of endangered marine life

In conjunction with Pangeaseed, World Art Destinations, 1XRUN, Residencia Gorila, and Juxtapoz Latin America supplied the funding to make the event happen. 

PangeaSeed.org is an international organization that collaborates with members of the art, science, and environmental activist communities to raise awareness of sharks and other marine species in peril.

FB page of Sea Walls for Oceans

When I asked “Why Isla Mujeres” as a location for this amazing project, Liz Rashell , Creative Director at World Art Destinations, said the project organizers “chose Isla Mujeres, México, cause Isla Mujeres serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and is on the migratory path of whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and large schools of fish.” That sounds to me like a great reason to celebrate with colour and beauty. 

Pelucas, on Guerrero  Photo L. Lock

As inspiration for the murals, the artists were taken out to swim with the whale sharks and manta rays, to give them an idea of how big and how benign these gorgeous creatures are. And then the fun began! Spraying, painting, and daubing in temperatures hovering around 32C, the artist brought to life their fantasy creatures, depicting a wild assortment of marine life and, of course, our world-famous whale sharks.

We, and several other islanders, have spent the last two weeks trying to locate and photograph all of the murals. 

It's a bit like a scavenger hunt, as the website map is more of a suggestion where the images might be found. Driving around in Centro can be a bit hazardous at the best of times because the one-way street system is very poorly marked. Add to that rubber-necking art enthusiasts who are attempting to snap photos while driving past the working artists. It got a bit interesting at times. 

Artist: Cinzah Seekayem on Madero Photo L. Lock

I resorted to sitting in the back of the golf cart while Lawrie drove, allowing me to take photos as we located the murals. Finally, I found the last one I was looking for, painted high up on the Hotel Osorio on Madero Street. 

It's a fun painting called “The Traveller” by Cinzah Seekayem. The mural faces west on a one-way street, but it requires twisting your neck around and up. 

To take the photo, I had to park the golf cart, climb up on the front grill and balance on one foot. I have a broken toe on my right foot, so I couldn't put any pressure on that foot. (The silly stuff we do to take photos for this blog!)

Local students across from school  Photo L. Lock

Among the official murals are a few that were done by other artists joining in the fun. The one near the middle school appears to be a collection of complementary images painted by sixteen local students. 

It is a vivid mural done in orange, pink and green depicting Mayan ancestors, whale sharks, manta rays, and sailfish. It is one of our favourites, although truth be told, we like them all!

Curiot at the entrance to Mercado  Photo L. Lock

The fifteen artists had such a good time on Isla Mujeres, they are willing to return next year with more artists to paint more murals!  Wow! If they run out of blank spaces to fill, we would happily volunteer an exterior wall of our house.

Thank you, Tristan Eaton, Tatiana Suarez, Vexta, Saner, Smithe, Nosego, Curiot, Meggs, Aaron Glasson, Shark Toof, Hannah Stouffer, Pelucas, Cinzah Seekayem, Yoh Nagao, and Celeste Byers adding colour and fun to our island.

NoseGo, back of Mercado Photo L. Lock

Tatiana Suarez official web photo

Hasta luego, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.

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