World Famous in Copán Ruinas

Self Portrait 2013

I’m a world famous artist in Copán Ruinas. That’s the lame joke I use whenever people say they see my work everywhere around town. It’s true, but it’s also true that Copán Ruinas is a pretty small town (in a remote corner of Honduras!) and considering the fact that I’ve been painting here for sixteen years now, then well, it’s hardly a feat to have saturated this place with my signs, murals, paintings, posters, furniture and souvenirs.

I must say, it’s convenient and fun to be “La Carin que pinta”, the one everyone interested in art automatically comes looking for when in Copán. Had I stayed in Amsterdam, I would never have reached that status. And that makes me wonder: is it because I am a foreigner living in Honduras? Or because I’m an artist living in a small town?  Because I’m a woman maybe? Or is it because I’m a female foreign artist living in a small town in Honduras? Or maybe it is just my work speaking for itself?

That I stick out, there’s no doubt about it and I have no trouble with that. Actually, I quite like it. I’m in the delightful position of being triple crazy: for being a foreigner, an artist as well as a female artist. (And for just being a little crazy, too...) Although I understand the necessity to adapt, I don’t necessarily want to blend in. I like being the odd one out. 
I’m the one who gets along with everyone and away with everything.

WhenI paint, I usually don’t think about why I paint or what I paint. I don’t consider myself a Dutch painter, nor a Honduran one. Not even a female one, for that matter. I just paint what I like, what comes to mind (and what is commissioned). Of course there’s the influence of the blazing sun, the lush greens, the temperament of the people and the vibrant colours of tropical plants. Maya culture, oh yes, have I used you… Or should I say “reinvented”? “Inspired by”?

When I paint I just paint and I’ll let the interpretation to the rest of the world. I’m happy though, to have been able to make my picturesque contributions to this town.

The only problem is that despite being world famous in Copán Ruinas, I’m still, as usual, bloody broke. I don’t want to become rich. And I’m not the sort of artist looking for fame after death. Why, I’m already World Famous in Copán Ruinas! But being World Famous in Copán Ruinas and less broke, now, that would be great…

So… to buy any number of my World Famous Copaneco art work, visit:

www.carinsteen.com

Or at least “like” my page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carin.steen.artist