Painting Mexico:
Painting Sombrerete, Pueblo Mágico
By J. K. “Jack” Hannula
Illustrative Plan, Constitution Plaza, watercolor by J. K. Hannula, 2017
When I first arrived in Sombrerete, I did not know what to expect -the patterns on the Google map were a mélange of grey, browns, and greens, abstract-painting-like, that provided few tangible details. The bus from San Miguel de Allende passed through San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, then Zacatecas - and into an increasingly arid, mountain-valley landscape that quickly whisked by my window, leaving me wondering even more. The bus arrived at a small station just off the highway, about a mile above Sombrerete´s center. Peering into the distance, I could finally see the compact, Spanish Colonial town nestled in a mountain-ringed valley just below me. As opposed to a textured, abstract Google map, this was a delightful reality.
I checked into my hotel room and, with my trusted Nikon S9950 camera, followed the road into town on foot, first through an area of newer buildings, but gradually into the historic center (centro histórico). Along the way, I passed pale stucco buildings squatted low, except for the numerous church steeples that jutted up from the colorful jumble of rooftops. During this leisurely walk, I quickly realized that I had a “keeper,” a “Magical Town” (Pueblo Mágico) to include in my next book.
Sombrerete, a funky ranching town where pickup trucks outnumber cars and ice cream shops outnumber bars –is most captivating for artists and worth exploring and painting. Founded in 1555 by Spanish explorers, Sombrerete became an officially listed Pueblo Mágico in 2012. The lovely pueblo is known for its extraordinary churches and extensive portales (arcaded walkways) in the central plaza. Sombrerete is named after a nearby mountain that looks like a sombrero.
Sombrerete includes a scenic section of the historic Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (also called the “Silver Route”), the ancient commercial route that connected the Valley of Mexico (now Mexico City) to Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A. The Camino Real runs through the historic center of the town.
Illustrative Plan of the Parroquia Plaza. This is a lovely location.
(El Camino Real and its 55 recognized historic places are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, three of which are in Sombrerete, including two sites to its north: the national park, Sierra de Órganos; and the mining town of Noria de San Pantaleón).
View in la Plaza de la Parroquia, watercolor by the author.
Thus, Sombrerete is the setting, the “stage” on which history has pulsated through the millennia, from ancient migrations from Asia over 30,000 years ago -to the present. In Sombrerete, you´ll find it all. All you need do is look closely, dig deep and turn over the many stones that mark this fascinating town and its history.
The Pueblo Mágico "Magical Town" of Sombrerete offers us the opportunity to paint:
* classic townscapes
* panoramic landscapes
* garden scenes
* details and studies
Let’s now visit ten great places to explore and paint in this alluring town, including a regional park (Parque Nacional) Sierra de Órganos; and a ghost town, Noria San Panteon. We'll start with el centro historico..." (see above maps).
The Historic Center
(El Centro Histórico)
(My pending book will cover all these scenic areas in detail.)
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