El Llano
shady trees beckon in the heart of historic Oaxaca
El Llano, watercolor pencil on paper 8”x10” by Delfino Cornali
Throughout the winter months in Oaxaca City, the giant Cassia trees paint a canopy of bright yellow blossoms over the city streets. On my last visit to Oaxaca, winter of 2020, I spent a good amount of time in the art studio, busily working on my art portfolio. I regularly took afternoon strolls — for a mind-refresh and inspiration.
The afternoon stroll I’ve captured here is the western approach to El Llano — a shady park in the heart of the city. Suprising, in as big & busy a city as Oaxaca, that this street — Calle Humboldt — could be nearly deserted mid-afternoon.
A city worker collects trash. A woman walks towards me with her cane. Within the hour, El Llano will quickly fill with dance troupes; school band practices; roller skaters; ice cream vendors.
With this piece, I’m experimenting with new techniques. For the walls of the buildings, I’m trying to achieve the earthy, mottled colors that so typify Oaxaca. For this, I blend multiple shades of color before I activate them with water, then over-draw the highlights to create the grain of the walls. Creating the Cassia flowers was great fun — Naples Yellow and ochre heaped over one another.
Inspiration: 306 Calle Humboldt, Oaxaca, Mexico
