Day 4 (which was actually yesterday) we went to Ocotlan. Birthplace of the painter Rudolfo Morelos.
But before we got out of town I saw this set of signs and thought you all needed to see them as well.

signs outside a auto parts store
Ocotlan is south of the city of Oaxaca. The biggest building in town is the church. Unlike many colonial era churches in Mexico, the church in Ocotlan has been restored to the way it looked in the 1880s. Much later than the usual 16th century. A lot of buildings in Ocotlan use the same blue, white, ocher, and black color scheme.

Sto Domingo Ocotlan
Inside the church is white, gold, and black. It’s much brighter than many of the churches. This is the main chancel.

main chancel
While we were in the church I could hear a bird singing. It was a tough to locate the source. I was sure it was in the church but couldn’t find it until I realized that there the upper portion of the wall between the main chancel on the rosary chapel was open. I found this little guy perched on an angel’s wing.

finch perched on an angel’s wing
The chapel has a collection of obscure saints in the spaces between the vaults.

one of the saints in the ceiling
This is a close up of one of the geometric designs that lines the chapel.

design from the wall of the rosary chapel
it wouldn’t be a church if there wasn’t a shrine to El Nino.

shrine to el nino
Next to the church is the cloister. Which before it was turned into a museum for some of the Morelos collection was the local jail. This is what you would have seen if you were spending your days in the jailhouse courtyard.

the dome of the church as seen from the courtyard
Among the pieces in the museum are these examples of sculpture by the Josefina Aguilar and her family.
This devil sits jauntily on the display case.

little devil
One of Josefina’s sisters makes these hysterical hookers. This one is wearing m0re clothes than most.

made famous by one of the sisters
This is the whole history of the world. Or at least the part that we keep repeating.

the fall of man
The museum also contains a number of Morelos’ paintings but the rooms are too dim to see them decently, let alone photograph the installation.
A couple of blocks from the church — across the Zocolo — is Rudolfo Morelos’ house. This is the view of the gardens at the cnter of the house.

the gardens from above
This walkway leads from the stairs across the top of the porch to Morelos’ studio.

upstairs at the Morelos house
I get studio envy every time I come up here. This long sky-lit room now houses some of his lithographs.

morelos
Dialogo espera.

one of the lithographs
The house is full of little surprises. You can only see this fellow if you turn around and look backwards from the studio door.

sculpture upstairs
There were birds singing in Morelos’ house.

canary in a blue cage
Another fantastical beast.

carousel horse
A little further down the street we went to the home of Josefina Aguilar. She demonstrated how she builds her sculptures.

josefina creating a market woman
She has the most amazing hands. Most of her work is done by feel.

amazing hands
It took her a little over 20 minutes to create this sculpture of a market women carrying calla lilies and marigolds — the traditional day of the dead flowers. I don’t know how the little dog figures into it.

market woman with day of the dead flowers and a puppy
Josefina’s son Demitrio is also a talented painter. I bought this gem from him.

untitled painting by Demitrio Aguilar

Demitrio Aguilar
ObMoto. This mechanic’s shop was right next door to the Aguilar’s.

Jim found this inside. But there was no-one around to ask about it.

partially rebuilt moto
Our last stop for the day was St. Martin Tilcajete. We went to see two families of wood carvers.
Here are two masks carved by Isadora Cruz, one of the old men of wood carving in the valley.

two unfinished masks
Crafts in Oaxaca are family businesses. This is Isadora’s daughter Rosa holding a half finished Dia de Muertos mask.

Rosa
There’s not a lot of straight timber left in the valley.

wood used to make masks
Leaving town we had to give way for this gentleman and his field workers.

a pair of brahma bulls