Barrero Beach Sunset

 This  commission started out with a bit of mystery. My client wanted me to  draw the palm tree under which she was proposed to here in Rincón. 

Of  course palms don't have addresses and since she was not here in town  she could only describe it to me. I wondered how this might work. 

My wife and I  made a weekend activity out of this and visited all the little patches  of beach along the road in question. The more we looked the more it  became clear that it really could only be that one spectacular palm that  had stood out in our own memory as well. We had known and marveled at  it since our first visit to Rincón.  Since then almost everything around  it had changed, businesses had come and gone, houses fell into ocean,  the coral reef had bleached out and then recovered to an extent. Even a  family of ducks had moved into the little creek beside it, bred for a  few generations and then moved on. In the midst of all this change this  venerable plant held on strong with its roots deep in the ground,  despite its spectacularly precarious lean. 

We  took some pictures and my client excitedly confirmed that this IS the tree in question! She asked if I could draw this location at sunset. After all, we  live in the "ciudad de los bellos atardeceres/ town of beautiful  sunsets" , how hard can it be? 

It took 2 months and six (admittedly enjoyable) trips to finally get this  painting started. Saharan Dust, weeks of rain, lack of beach sand, and every  imaginable thing that could prevent a perfect sunset seemed to lay  itself in our path. We even had garbage thrown at us from a passing car.  But honoring the tough little palm we persevered and I am happy to  present you with this newest watercolor. I hope you all enjoy it.