Tubac, An Artist's Paradise

South of Tucson, but not quite to Nogales is a great little town called Tubac.  We spent an afternoon in the touristy part of Tubac, where there are dozens of beautiful little shops of brightly colored adobe and plaster, full of fine arts, jewelry and handmade items of every description.  These were not handicraft items that Grandmothers make out of plastic and yarn, but were excellent works offine art!  Little cantinas, bistros, and tea shops were interspersed in the nooks and crannies in case you wanted to stay all day.  

We were there on a Thursday and the whole place was preparing for the weekend, there was some kind of sidewalk event at hand and everyone was buzzing with busyness, getting ready for the onslaught of tourists and artsy folk. 

The paintings in the Southwest have a different look than where I come from in Washington.  They are more colorful somehow.  Realism doesn’t seem to be the look that is trendy right now, but a bolder, more surreal look seems to be the style. 

Acrylic paints are widely used because of the shockingly vibrant colors that can be easily achieved and boldness not found in water colors.  There’s nothing subtle about the art in Tubac.  A common subject for paintings would be faces-slapping oranges and sulky purples in desert landscapes.  Western art is also a common theme and seems to be popular (but not the Fredrick Remington variety) and has a zesty modern art, American Indian flavor.  It is a visual feast that makes your eyes weary and yearning for more.

A stand out and unique art form that was well represented there was metal stamped art, frames, lamp shades, table tops and you name it!  I like the sheet metal lampshades with patterns of holes punched in them.  They shimmer and sparkle as though they were studded with Swarovski crystals, but they are simply a little bulb mounted in the back.  It is the greatest stuff.  I wish I could have bought something, but my Little House cannot hold any more ‘things’ regardless of how great they are.  I have learned that I don’t have to own something to love and enjoy it.  The memory is enough.