Miami and the things that bring back memories of the past

After traveling by the cheapest way possible with one free personal item and a decent-turbulence flight, I arrived in Miami, Florida to see my friends who have lived there for quite some time now.

One of the things I love most about Miami is that no matter where you look, everything seems to have been touched by an artist. There’s art everywhere: on the walls, the floor, ceilings, lampposts.

I usually find inspiration in everything I see, especially the details. On every trip, I end up with a collection of photos capturing those little things that catch my eye and can serve as references for my drawings. Miami is full of details.

The purpose of the trip, more than exploring Miami, was to see how my friends (Andrea and Sandy) have been living all these years.

Sandy works with dogs, and she says it's impossible not to want to go to work (and I can see why). She had to groom Ricky, who reminded me of Spanky, my dog. I miss him so much—my boyfriend and I had to leave him in Mexico City because New York wasn't a good fit for him. He hated the weather and the endless asphalt.

Sandy with Ricky

Ricky

Spanky

*I realized that drawing the dogs' fur can be challenging.*

Andrea and I both studied architecture. Now she works as an interior designer (and she’s incredibly skilled at it). Seeing her office made me wonder what my office might have looked like if I had continued to pursue my architecture career. Her office is full of materials catalogs for creating designs. To be honest, it made me want to work there.

I remembered what it was like to do blueprints and touch the materials—another way to understand architecture and my favorite part. But more than anything, it made me long even more to have my own studio. I also thought about having catalog materials myself to use as references for my drawings.

Andrea working

Sketch I did in 2013

Sadly, because of the demands of adult life, I had to explore the city on my own while they worked. This did give me the chance to sketch more than I usually do when I travel, although a flood alert limited me.

I visited the Botanical Garden, and despite the sweat, mosquitoes, and threats of severe rain, I managed to take some pictures of my favorite plants and draw a few koi fish.

I then walked down Ocean Drive, with its striking Art Deco buildings (which I absolutely loved) and the eagerly anticipated beach. I'm likely to paint more of those buildings in the near future; their color palette really appeals to me.

So, after party nights on weekends and rainy mornings, the sun finally emerged on Sunday, and we headed to the beach, where I managed to sketch a bit more.

There are some trips where I can't stop drawing and sketching, but then there are trips like this one where I just want to relax, enjoy, and give my hands a vacation.

So, on the list of [02] Things that bring back memories of the past are:
The watercolor class in my architecture career that made me discover my passion for painting. The experiences that naturally arise when you see someone from the past—especially if they are people you have a very close relationship with. Spanky. What it's like to vacation (which sometimes I find hard to do). Spanky. Again. Missing my dogs. Bonsai (my family's dog who is also in Mexico). Parties and how we've grown up and got sleepy by 10 pm.