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 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | February 2007 
American Muralist & Fresco Painter Revitalizes Mexico's Rich Tradition
 PRWeb
| | Church Mural for La Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon, Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, 2006. |
Sonora, Mexico - Classically trained American artist, muralist and fresco painter, Daan Hoekstra, has brought the nearly lost art of fresco painting back to one of the countries where the tradition once stood so grand and flourished - Mexico. Hoekstra is embarking on a three-year fresco project at the Casa de Cultura Maria Felix in Alamos, Sonora, supported by state and federal funding.
The first year will focus upon preparing lime and pigments in the traditional way for painting fresco. The second year will be devoted to providing fresco technique workshops for Mexican artists, local expatriates and tourists. The final year will culminate in the execution of the large scale frescos for the town's public buildings, in conjunction with local artists.
Hoekstra came to Mexico in 2001 when he was contracted to paint murals in the chapel of a hacienda in the small colonial town of Alamos, Sonora. After completing nearly 10 months of work at the hacienda, the artist decided to stay and set roots in the peaceful town. Since that time he has steadily produced mural commissions. In 2004 he was invited to produce designs for murals at the Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora (ITSON). Contacts with the university, and associated exhibitions, led to the founding of his art school, Atelier Sonorense Atelier Sonorense: Traditional Painting and Fresco Art School In Mexico.
In 2005, Hoekstra was invited to paint 1000 square feet of murals for a new event center at the five-star resort Hacienda de los Santos in Alamos. The project took nearly a year to complete and attracted the attention of influential visitors. And most recently in December 2006, the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon, in Navojoa, Sonora inaugurated Hoekstra's latest mural, painted for the altar of the church.
Hoekstra attributes his success to a strong foundation obtained through teachers such as the outspoken Richard Lack, engineer of a revival of traditional painting methods in the late 20th century; Mark Balma, one of the few painters in the world who practiced fresco in the 1980's and 1990's; and Taos Six painter Ray Vinella. |
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