Santa Clara del Cobre is a Pueblo Magico known for its copper goods. There is a huge copper pan under the kiosk in the main plaza as a sample of what the inhabitants of this town do. My first stop was, however something less glamorous than a Pueblo Magico's visit, it was a stop to the restroom. In the main plaza named Plaza Matamoros, there are public restrooms in the back yard of a private home. They were super basic but clean. There is a toilet bowl converted into a planter displayed on the way to the back of the property. It could be gross for some, but it seemed cute enough and a clever advertisement to make it to my sketchbook.
Life is slow and everybody seems to enjoy the sun at the main plaza. I've been using the Koh-i-noor magic pencil to sketch people.
One can get there anything made of copper, from small objects like key chains or a pair of earrings to kitchen sinks and bathtubs, all made from scratch. One can wonder how do the artisans get so much copper? Mining is not the answer but the recycling of copper wire. The method to make these goods hasn't changed for decades, except how do they lit the fire, which changed from blowing air manually to the use of electricity. Most of men in town do that for living. Copper artisans can be junior or master based on expertise.
After visiting the Copper Museum, shown on the left on next sketch, we head up the Pino Suarez street to visit one of these stores.
After visiting the Copper Museum, shown on the left on next sketch, we head up the Pino Suarez street to visit one of these stores.
We were told there was an artisan who makes demonstrations. Roberto, who is a copper master artisan, showed us how the pieces to be formed by hammering are heated in a wood pit fire.
We left Santa Clara del Cobre and headed to the nearby village named Zirahuen, the village and the lake have the same name. In our way to the village, we stopped at a very humble stand were some women were selling food. The reason we stopped there wasn't because we were hungry but because of the view. So we got only a beer in order to sit down there. The view was amazing. Here's a photo, I owe you a sketch because I didn't get one!
This place had the best view of the lake. There, the handmade walls of the fire stove was so primitive and the attire of this woman was so cute that they are now in my sketchbook.
A pair of costumer friends, didn't even sat at a table, the sat on the wall of the open space. The dark socks and vest of the woman pointing out something to her friend looked warm, that's why this image was so appealing to me. I realized that despite the humble life of these women they looked happy having a food bite together.
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