Being a seasoned cruiser of the Caribbean I expected Costa Maya Mexico to be just another sandy beach to swim and later paint. To my surprise and excitement the beach held more, more beauty, more surprises, more romance and more of a person’s life in which to capture on canvas.

As I approached the beach I was engulfed in the sheer magnificence of the warm teal waters and the palm tree’s that created a canopy above the untouched beach.I spent hours, and many rolls of film trying to capture the essence I felt.

“View from the Beach” is supposed to give the viewer the romantic getaway that anyone who visits a beach craves. Instead of the typical beach a person visits in the Caribbean. All beach, hundreds of people, NO palm trees.

“Taxi to Paradise” is just that; a sandy dirt road above the beach that gives a perfect view of the teal waters, and the dock where the great Ships rest. I did choose to take out my cruise ship out of canvas to emphasize the sheer beauty of the Mexican Horizon.

Lastly “Three Boats on a Break” was the furthest I walked on the beach.It gave me pause to remember this is a fishing village, NOT a tourist stop. I wanted to show boats on the beach taking a break from the days work.

A chance meeting with Gustavo Quattrone at Mamacitas, a restaurant in the port enticed me to make prints of the view I saw and hopefully captured with my paints and brush. He told me that the Port had begun a charity to build a school for the village. I jumped in and offered my help and proceeds raised from my art to help to build that school. I am very thankful to have this opportunity.

Michael Patrick Maness
http://www.artbympm.com