Meet Painter Victoriano Mendez
On January 13 I headed to Mexico for a weeklong yoga retreat with my best friend. We decided to extend our trip after the retreat ended in order to explore a couple of cities we had yet to visit: Sayulita was one of them. This small town is best known as a hot spot for surfers, but what I fell in love with was its vibrant community. From street performers to jewelry makers to musicians, Sayulita buzzes day and night with the sounds, scents, and sights of the arts. Rich with culture, you could easily spend weeks visiting galleries, watching performances, and trying a variety of foods and beverages. With only two days to wander its streets, I was grateful to have happened upon La Casa del Artista —a local art gallery — where I bumped into artist Victoriano Mendez.
Victoriano is a painter who perfectly captures the spirit of Sayulita in his colorful creations. He paints a variety of subjects including portrait and landscape pieces. His studio knows no home. He sets up and works here and there around town, but in each painting, you catch glimpses of the places that own his heart. Victoriano was gracious enough to allow me to take his photo and then took the time to walk my best friend and I through each of his paintings on display in the little shop on Av Revolucion 22.
I was sure when I returned home I would be able to find this wonderful artist online and order one of his pieces for my new home in Portland. To my disappointment, I could only find a little bit of information about him online. I would say that if I have one regret about my trip, it’s not grabbing one of his beautiful paintings. If I never visit Sayulita again, with one quick glimpse his work takes me right back to the center of town.
So let me introduce Victoriano Mendez to you below. See all of my photos from the time I spent with him here.