Mosaics inspired by the home where I live

Over the last several months I have been creating some fantastic new mosaics here at home in Antigua Guatemala. Having assumed responsibility for my friends’ Marta and Elsa Diaz’s family home and guesthouse in December of last year, I have had not only the space to work on new pieces, but to create some new works specifically for the house. In addition, living at the house has given me a unique, beautiful, and creative vision that I feel I’m ready to share. It’s suddenly time to start sharing these creations—and my creative journey-- as I move forward with my life and work here at Welcome Home guesthouse.

This house is a very special home for me, being the family home of my dear friend, Martita Castellanos de Diaz who, upon the urging of my mom’s college friend, Pam Jonas, I came to meet on the second day of my first trip to Guatemala in 2004. Martita was a lively, white-haired grandmother who embraced me from that first day like her own grandson, filling with me enchanting stories and tales, and inviting me into her family via the tradition of making flower-and-pine-needle carpets for the processions of Semana Santa, the week before Easter. She shared with me her love of the indigenous Mayan people, as well as the special connections we make with others, sometimes lasting until well after death. She opened my heart with her generosity, and my mind with her fierce sense of justice.

The Queen's Wreath, or Nazareno, a giant purple flowering vine that we use for these carpets during Lent always reminds me of Martita because the flowers are so abundant and prolific--like her generous heart. They inspired these windows for this new guest room.

The Palmera, which always gets trimmed for Palm Sunday carpets as well, was the inspiration for the second little guest room we've added here:

Julio's garden salon is the dramatic setting for another piece of mosaic art, created especially for him and his art.

If you're in the Antigua Area on Sunday, October 20, I hope you will stop by to see these and other mosaic artworks at our open house, exhibition and sale of my mosaic artwork from 12-4 pm!

7 Calle Oriente #20 B