A visit to southern Peru: Cusco; part two: looking out from the edges

*

Cusco: a view from north to south, oil on card, 13 x 14 cm   available

Cusco- Nueva Alta, oil on card, 14 x 16 cm  - available

Cusco- Arcopata, oil on card, 12.5 x 15 cm - available

Cusco, the hills to the south, oil on card, 12 x 14 cm - available

Cucso- simple houses, oil on card, 15 x 13 cm - available

Cusco from near the tower, oil on card, 9.5 x 12.5 cm  - available

Cusco- a development to the west of the town, oil on card, 11.5 x 14 cm   available

Now here are a set painted over my week in Cusco representing the city from various heights, or looking towards the hills on the outskirts. 

The city is dusty and very dry. It's quite tiring walking around, the altitude affects one, making one breathless, and giving slight nosebleeds  The effect of being nestled so in hills makes the place somewhat claustrophobic.

*

A visit to southern Peru: Cusco; part one: the old city

*

Cusco: a lane, oil on card, 12.5 x 11 cm   - available

Cusco: entrance arch, oil on card, 11 x 15 cm - availale

Cusco: the view from a hostel, oil on card, oil on card, 12.5 x 16 cm  unavailable

Cusco: Cathedral, oil on card,  11 x 14 cm  available

Cusco

The arrival was painful- a miserable arrival at a godless 5 am and freezing. They like to start early in Peru. Sadists. The taxi driver was blunt.

The city is charming, valley set, baroque heavy, solid, rising with increasing imperfection to the high mountains around. The hostel was cosy. I felt happy there. The people of the town are are different but not unfriendly. The city is full of surprises.

There is a long road lined with shops all small selling all manner of stuff. I plan to go there to do some work. The hills are steep and I like to climb them and see the town. The hills have handsome pine woods.

The easel is breaking up: I fix it sometimes. The paintings go confidently. I'm glad I came. I think, I am going to plan another trip very soon to another place like this, as this is what I should be doing.

I went by train to  Machu Picchu and it was stunning, if at the same time  one of those tourist sausage factory experiences. I reccomend it, but don`t bother taking the costly train as it ties you down. Hire some guy to drive you.

*

Getting ready for Peru

*

The thing with the trips is not, I think, to load oneself down with obligation.  To say, for instance, I am in Paris, I must paint the Eiffel Tower..., regardless of whether or not one finds the tower an interesting subject. Such obligations have the counterproductive effect of denying any spontaneity to one`s artistic responses (though one might argue that spontaneity can only exist in the context of of obligations and that my position is paradoxical). Suffice to say, the main thing is to feel relaxed and talk about how one feels in the place, not about how one feels one ought to talk about the place...

I see this trip partly as an answer to Bolivia, which wasn`t as successful as I`d hoped, I`m not sure why but the pictures from Bolivia just don`t quite feel right. Maybe it`s because I always felt like an intruder there,  Anyway, I have very few expectations about Peru- in fact I know very little about it, and I suppose that is a good thing.

*

Photos from a forest, part three

*

Photographs taken in the forest at Rio Vermelho.

*

Photos from a forest, part two

*

Further images from Rio Vermelho.

*

Photos from a forest, part one

*

Photographs taken in the forest at Rio Vermelho.

*

Double carrier

*

This is the new style double carrier which I shall use for Peru, in an attempt to reduce the space taken up by pochades in my luggage. Hopefully, the paintings do not touch, even if the luggage is chucked about by baggage handling staff at the airports.

 But..."We shall see"...said Big Max.*



* a line which comes from Big Max by Kin Platt.

*