The Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce is exhibiting the results of a two-week “plein-air” painting trip to Austria taken recently by two of Guadalajara’s best-known artists: Jorge Monroy and Ilse Taylor Hable.
The idea of the trip appealed to Vienna-born Hable, who has lived in Jalisco for the past 16 years. “Believe it or not, I’ve never had an opportunity to paint in my own country,” she said at last week’s opening. “I’ve spent most of my time in the United States and Mexico. So this trip was really special for me and great fun.”
Monroy, who specializes in watercolor techniques, came up with the idea for the trip. “Austria has exactly the kind of subjects that I love to paint: crystalline lakes, snow-covered mountains, vineyards, gorgeous rivers like the Danube, lined with quaint villages,” he said.
Said Hable: “Even though it’s a small country, we had to plan our tour because there is a wealth of different topography and natural beauty.
“First we went to the area around the Danube where there are lots of castles and ruins and churches and vineyards, and, of course, the river. From here we went to the Saltzburg area where there are many beautiful lakes, all crystal clear.
“We went to Austria’s highest peak, called Grossglockner, which has a glacier. I was really keen on seeing it as I had never been up there before and the glacier is now half the size it used to be. I wanted to have a look at it before it completely melts away. Up there we saw a lot of marmots, ibexes, flora and fauna, and beautiful glacier lakes.”
“To round up our tour, we went to the other lake zone of Austria, Carinthia, in the south. The water in those lakes was freezing cold, but we did bathe a little bit and painted and painted and painted.”
Also showing on the second floor of the Chamber are paintings by Guadalajara native Laura Villanueva. Her works are full of color, great detail and are often surrealistic.
Viajando y Pintando en Austria (Traveling and Painting in Austria) can be seen at the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce, Av. Vallarta 4095, corner of Niño Obrero. Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tel: (33) 3880-9090.