0103-The One Stick Drummer

Artist: Jean Foss, originally from the United States, Jean Foss moved to Oaxaca, Mexico in 2001. She was strongly attracted to the colors and the culture of this largely indigenous southern Mexican state, where daily life is still infused with traditions from pre-Colombian times. Her painting focuses on the landscape and culture of Mexico, with particular emphasis on the role of women.
Jean studied creative writing and art at the University of Iowa and the University of Oregon (B.S. in Fine Arts, 2001), and studied print making with Shinzaburo Takeda at the UABJO (the Autonomous University of Benito Juarez, Oaxaca) for her first year in Mexico.
Jean lives in a rural village with her Mexican husband who is a papier-mache artist and a printmaker, their daughter, and a large family of adopted dogs and cats, who often appear in her work, dressed in traditional regional dress.
Statement: "Years ago, I frequently ran into this man playing his drum on the street (sometimes with one stick, sometimes with two). He always played with enthusiasm andseemed totally immersed in his performance often forgetting to put out his old sombrero to invite donations.One time I told him that l'd painted him. He told me that he spent years playing the drum and the chirimiya outside a church on holy days. (The chirimiya is a small pre-Hispanic flute,which the conquistadores incorporated int0 ritual music for the Catholic church.) Occasionally I still see him playing in the street. He must be in his 80s by now."

Materials and Techniques: Acrylic on Wood

Hand-Made Cherry Wood Frame