C R E A T I V I T Y
Peter Howard is Skipper & Chief Navigator at his floating home, houseboat number six, painted the color of Oaxacan mole rojo sauce with green pepper trim from 1982 to this present day.
In the mid 1970’s, Peter met and fell in love with Zella Jeannette. She had moved to Seattle after finishing graduate school in Idaho. Zella was the head teacher at the alternative Interim School where they both worked. Peter was a teacher of Washington state history and math.
Zella was enchanted with the houseboat scene in Seattle and in 1980 she bought the houseboat number six on Seattle’s Lake Union. Peter moved in two years later. In 2009, Peter and Zella received a certificate of domestic partnership from the Washington Secretary of State. Together they have enjoyed a happy northwest lifestyle on their Lake Union floating home with their art collection and garden.
Oaxaca and Michoacán are easily the most folk art culture orientated states of Mexico. Zella and I spent seven years in a beautiful house on a hillside about a mile from the downtown of Pátzcuaro. I first became interested in Catrina ceramic sculptures during one of the two or three indigenous art festival celebrated each year. The Catrina all came from the Puebla Capula. As with other art forms, and following a pattern seen in many Mexican pueblas, one family initially started making terra cotta sculptures of La Catrina, which caught the eyes of visitors. Over a ten year period a group of Capula artisan folks started creating their own unique Catrina, getting to the point at which the towns economy is based solely on selling their ceramic Catrina sculptures. Ironically Capula, the indigenous community, is just off the old Mexico City highway about ten miles from the very large Mexican City of Morelia. Time has marched along and the growing suburbs are reaching Capula. What happens when Capula is gobbled up with condos, public housing and the commercial activity that come with large new populations. Move the town, fence the town off to separate the new community from Capula, or something else?
For us though, we started visiting Capula about 2006 exploring its culture and style and artists studios. I searched out and befriended the best of the Catrina artists. I purchased examples of the best of the best and over the decade that followed I had put together a collection of the most precious of the work from Capula along with the carved wooden spirit animals from the village of Arrazola, on the edge of Oaxaca City.
In Mexico City and other large cities of Mexico in late 1800’s and first part of the 1900’s, the new Mexican wealthy class became very infatuated with all the grand fashion, style and affluence seen in the capitols of Europe. Around 1913 the Mexico City artist José Guadalupe Posada, published a political social commentary series of engravings depicting Mexican citizens as skulls and skeletons dressed in silk gowns, elegant headwear and tuxedos. All of these artworks were a statement, caricature and critique on how Mexicans had comprised, becoming obsessed with European culture, giving their souls in intoxication with the elegant cultures of Paris, London and other cultural locations in Europe. The effect of these images was dramatic throughout Mexico where the “Catrina” become an iconic part of Mexican folklore & ceramic artistry. In time, La Catrina images also became a symbolic part of “Day of the Dead” imagery throughout Mexico and a beloved light hearted view of life and death.
I have always been fascinated by the colonial doors, windows and streets of the villages and cities of Mexico. The visually unique texture and patina of the weathered wood and handmade adobe bricks, sometimes hundreds of years old along with the blending of indigenous sensibilities and the dramatic colonial building details, is truly a magnetic fascination for me. Especially when I am behind the camera. When viewing photographs with my creative instructor at Belles Artes in San Miguel de Allende, I mentioned that I had a portfolio of pictures I would like her to see. She interrupted saying, “I hope they are not doors and windows.” Which of course, that is exactly what the subjects were!
Zihuatanejo is a fishing village on a volcanic bay. Casa La Playa is one of the last of the guest houses on the main beach which was our Mexican headquarters that we called Dorkey Park for 25 years. We also spent a month or more in Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende. Puerto Vallarta and Zipolite. Besides the morning fishing boat safaris along the beach, I frequently walked further inland regularly climbing the hillsides behind the city. I have heard that photographs are judged by their dramatic vistas, portraits of people and landscape. Mexico absolutely overflows with a bounty of dramatic photographic opportunities which I loved to discover.
About the year 2005, while staying in Casa La Playa, I began the habit of getting up at about sunrise and walking with my camera about one half mile down the beach to Casa Marina, in front of which the fishermen in their Pangas boats were returning from a night of fishing. Their search is for the ever dwindling populations of Huachinango Red Snapper. The perfect size are about 12 inches, perfect for the plates of the restaurants. On blue tarps upon the beach under the palms, the fishermen arrange the nights catch, quickly selling out of the Red Snapper that was caught in their nets. Then is the bull ship hours, manning their 0uestos where they sell their catch while drinking instant coffee and regaling all their friends with their nights adventures upon the ocean. They fish about 10 miles off the coast where all the boats use Yamaha Enduro 40 hp outboards. Using bright lanterns to attract the fish to the boats, upon the return home, one fisherman is responsible for holding onto the lantern and pole it is attached to for protecting the important lantern during the sometimes violent running of the sturdy Pangas boats up and onto the sandy beach.
My presence as photographer began being taken for granted over time and I had many a friendly nodding relationship. I had a few of my favorite photographs printed, which I gave to the fishermen who were subjects within my images. I am not an early riser but it was always easy to get up at sunrise and be walking in the morning breeze down the beach to watch the fishermen’s fleet return to the bay.