Sketches and Blooms of Santo Domingo

Some of the images of the temple made for some really nice photo sketches…..and a nice flower portrait!

Arches – Impasto Sketch

As I said in a previous blog post, I loved the look of the flowers and plants spilling over the arches on the upper floor.  I felt I just had to capture it as a sketch – I may make some note cards of this!

Thru the Doorway

This photo sketch seems to capture what I liked best from this stop on our journey – the arches – the arches, the greenery, the flowers and the feel of the courtyard.

Flowerbox Blooms

Aren’t these so vibrant and beautiful?  When I looked at them, I thought how pretty things are in the spring…..and then I remembered that since we were south of the equator, it was almost winter!  June 21 or 22 would be the first day of winter down here….not that it would feel much like it!

Enjoy!



Temple of Santo Domingo (Cusco)

The last stop we made in Cusco before heading on our way to Machu Picchu was the Temple (or Cathedral) of Santo Domingo, in the heart of Cusco.  It had some really nice architectural elements – take a look!

Santo Domingo Arches

I admit, I’m a bit of a sucker for arches – love the feel they give to places.  I especially loved the look they give to the walkways that surround the central courtyard of the temple.  I also love the colors from the plants and flowers in the boxes along the arches on the second floor.

Ceiling Tiles

Aren’t these ceiling tiles beautiful?  They weren’t all over, at least not any longer, but I was glad we did get to see them in this one area.

Golden Map

Isn’t this a cool map?  It is made of metal covered in gold.  The detail is quite amazing for its time – you can see people in the lower center, what looks like crops growing to the right of them, and the sun and moon above.  Unfortunately, I can’t recall what the rest of the symbols mean.  Still, quite amazing, and naturally shimmering.

Santo Domingo Courtyard

Here’s a better view of the courtyard, or, at least, part of it!  Currently, there is a sort of fountain surrounded by flowers in the center of it, altho I sacrificed that to get a shot of the bell tower.

Multiple Windows

One interesting thing is how the doorways and windows are in the shape of trapezoids.  It was felt back then, and still today, that this shape holds up better in earthquakes than the more traditional rectangular or square windows and doorways.

Cross in front of Santo Domingo

I wanted to include this image to show how beautifully decorative the cross was in front of the temple.  I also found that the temple made for some great photo sketches, but you’ll see that in the next blog post!

Enjoy!

 



Street Scene & Local Market in Cusco

We ended our tour today with a drive thru Cusco and a visit to a local market where the food was fresh and the colors vibrant!

Cusco Street Scene Sketch

As we drove to the local market, we saw some very cool street scenes.  This was one of my favorites!

Local Market Offerings Sketch

I have always wanted to photograph an old fashioned traditional local market, and today I got my wish!  I converted this to a sketch and just loved the way it came out – bright colors, veggies, fruit and the scale!

Veggies Galore

Here’s a close up of the luscious offerings – yum!

Local Market – Stylized

Everywhere I turned, my eyes were feasting on the fabulous colors and photo ops.  Here’s a photo of another aisle which I converted to a sketch.

Yum – Oil Paint Sketch

One last view – don’t you just want to reach out & pick up a piece of fruit or a veggie?

Enjoy!



 

Cusco, Peru – On Top of the World (or so it felt!)

Cusco, Peru, is considered the Center of the World, from an archeological perspective, chiefly because it was the heart of the Inca civilization, and there are several different ruins around the area, including our destination, Machu Picchu.  I’ve chosen to process my images from this ancient and interesting city as photo sketches just to focus on the character of the city.

Downtown Cusco Sketch

Here’s a sketch of the city streets just outside the hotel we stayed at.  If the street looks narrow, it’s because they are VERY narrow!  As I said above, this is a very old city, and was actually in the heart of the Inca Empire.  Interestingly, there really isn’t any Inca type ruins in the city itself.  When the Incas were conquered by the Spanish, the Spanish tore down the Inca buildings and built their own buildings on top of those ruins.  This was common practice, so it wasn’t as if the Spanish did something unusual for the day.

Inner Courtyard Sketch

This sketch is of one of the courtyards in our hotel.  Our hotel was a very, very old building, and there were a number of courtyards in the hotel, so guests could enjoy the outside without sitting in the midst of the city.

Church at Plaza de Armas – Color Pencil Sketch

When we returned to Cusco after our visit to Machu Picchu, Jeff & I took a walk to the town center, the Plaza de Armas.  Cusco is very high up in the Andes – elevation of 11,200 feet! – so Jeff & I took it easy as we walked to the plaza.  This church was one of 2 that dominated the square.

Arches at the Plaza de Armas – Impasto Sketch

As Jeff & I sat in the plaza, we enjoyed all the different architecture that was around us.  One of the details that I really liked were the archways that served to identify the entry into various businesses.

Relaxing on the Plaza – Stylized Sketch

There were lots of folks, just like us, relaxing on the Plaza!  We enjoyed watching the people at least as much as checking out the architecture!

Enjoy!