Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - What a wonderful and whimsical place we live in!, says renowned Puerto Vallarta artist Lee "Lencho" Chapman.

"What I most love about living in Mexico is that, even after living here for two decades, when I'm walking down the street there is still that feeling full of wonder and surprise. I can be driving along, and suddenly come across a circus in the middle of nowhere, or hundreds of people enjoying a swimming hole formed by tropical rains from the night before. There is a heartwarming and cheerful feeling about this country - a way of existence that could never be in the United States."

Chapman uses his love Puerto Vallarta and the magic surrounding this special place in his work - transforming the everyday things he sees into witty folkloric images with a dreamlike quality.

As a former TV commercial director in Hollywood, California, Lee designed sets and special effects. He was also a director and producer whose favorite client turned out to be Ronald McDonald!

"The sets I designed were a festive 3-D version of the artistic style now found in my two-dimensional paintings," shares Chapman.

Lee and his wife Nancy, along with their beloved dogs, moved to Mexico City in 1992 to direct commercials en español. During this time, he had a show at the Museum of Natural History sponsored by the Mexico City Department of Culture.

They moved to Puerto Vallarta in 1995 so that Lee could concentrate on becoming a full time painter, and the couple eventually opened a successful gallery as a place to showcase his work as well as other eclectic and one of a kind pieces.

This past summer proved exceptionally proliferate for Lencho. He once again turned his full attention into his painting after closing the popular "Puerco Azul" gallery/boutique.

"I found the retail business too distracting," says Chapman. "When I work on a painting, I live in it. Much like tango dancers who enter a state of flow, once I get my vision, style, and color palette for a piece, my intuition takes over and I enter that transcendent space so conducive to originality."

Lencho's upcoming Galeria Contempo show offers a fresh new take on his humorous world view. The animals he loves - his dogs Pinto and Rudy Rojo among them - move from center stage to backdrop lush tropical landscapes. We are also introduced to some new bold and feisty characters, a 'typical' Vallarta tourist and a flashily dressed con man among them.

This Friday, November 29th, Galeria Contempo warmly invites you to meet Lencho at an opening cocktail reception to be held from 6 pm to 10 pm. This airy two-story gallery is located, at Basilio Badillo #252 in the South Side. You can also check us out online at GaleriaContempo.com. (322) 223-1925.