I had been taking an art class for a few months and now the day had come. I was great at the pencil fruit bowl, sculpture, pottery and even the life drawing and let me tell you, when theres a nude person in front of you drawing is the second thing on your mind. But now’s the day when we do beach scenes. Landscape is fine, desert not a problem but the beach or water is very hard to capture. It never stays still and not too mention its clear. My teacher told me to breathe and go and find some inspiration on the weekend.
A quick phone call to Heather at Classic Travel and I was on my way to Maroma Resort & Spa to get inspired.
Located on the Riviera Maya, Maroma Resort & Spa is a luxurious hideaway and very popular for honeymooners. There are a lot of great new hotels in the area but I wanted an authentic colonial feeling and Maroma is that and an Orient Express Hotel. It is nestled at the edge of the beach on the Yucatan Peninsula, bordered by the world’s second longest barrier reef.
The resort is made up of several white stucco buildings, two or three stories in height and are joined by stone pathways which are lit by over 100 candles or torches each evening to create a beautiful and romantic atmosphere. All rooms offer either an ocean or a garden view and the bathrooms feature oversized tubs which I just love. They are known for their Spa, and since it considered one of the best in the area I had to go and experience it. It’s called the Kinan Spa and combines both Zen and Mayan concepts. They even have one treatment room with a 360-degree view of the ocean and jungle.
El Restaurante, which was built by Mayan masons, offers indoor and outdoor seating with spectacular views of the white sandy beach. It offers all day dining and is renowned for its breakfast. I can feel the inspiration flooding me by the second.
Well I went home and painted my beach scene. I impressed myself how well it turned out. The teacher didn’t think so but what would he know. He didn’t have a fabulous relaxing time at Maroma in Mexico like I did.