Painting on the Road: General Guemes and a banana plant

Three views of Gen. Guemea statue

Am continuing to have fun playing with watercolors on this trip and love the convenience of the Strathmore postcards. Not too sure how many will actually reach their destinations, though, as international postal service can be iffy. We enjoyed our time in the city of Salta located in northwestern Argentina. General Martin Miguel de Guemes (1785-1821) was a popular caudillo and military leader, a gaucho, who defended northwestern Argentina from the Spanish during the Argentine War of Independence (1810-1818). I painted three views
of his statue while basking in the sun at Plaza Guemes. The next day I came down with the flu and while confined to our room at Hotel Villa Vicuna for a couple days, managed to paint a quick pastel study of the banana tree in our courtyard. The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. The flower spike is called an inflorescence.

Banana plant blossom