Earlier this month, I had the chance to view a breathtaking exhibit of oil on canvas paintings produced by Belize City-born artist, Lola Delgado. Lola’s paintings are dynamic and different. They emanate a sense of social and artistic consciousness that arrests you and elicits more than a cursory glance at her work but instead evokes deep inspection of the features embedded within.
Based in Seine Bight Village on the Placencia Peninsula, this people-loving Belizean woman pays homage to the beauty, culture and productivity of the people of the Peninsula. Most of them she depicts are faceless women of African descent, shapely, stylish, elegant, powerful, and hard working.
Lola humorously reveals: “I paint a lot more women than men, because I like to design their clothes, hairstyles and jewelry. I like to paint men too, but they just don’t look that good in dresses.”
Lolita Locke Delgado, now 50, is the daughter of Luis Locke, a well-known tombstone sculptor, and Lina Delgado, who had the first florist business in Belize, selling mostly roses and fern bouquets to funeral customers.
Lola recalls her parents telling her that she began to show her artistic side at age 2, when she boldly took her mother’s lipstick and nail polish and painted the walls of their home. Her parents had no choice but to buy her proper art materials so she could channel all that creative energy in the right place.
“I don’t remember this, but I do remember painting as long as I can recall in my early childhood. My first painting got sold when I was 8 years old,” Lola informs.
She went to Seine Bight for holiday, but never left. It is there that she eventually realized her lifelong dream of having her own art gallery: Lola’s Art Gallery.
This month Lola debuted with her first solo exhibit at the House of Culture in Belize City – showcasing colorful paintings that depict her vibrant artistic energy.
Some of the outstanding pieces on display are The Dance, Dry Season, Punta Bashment, Strawberry, The Walk From Eden, The Three of Us, and Red Dragon Tattoo.
On April 22, 2009, the artist was decorated with the title of Small Vendor of the Year by the Belize Tourism Board.
Lola describes the achievement as “…the pinnacle of my dream come through!”
Lola’s creative mind is still churning out new project ideas, and she is working towards opening a healing spa in Punta Gorda along with Edzel Lopez and Carolee McKay.
She is also looking ahead to 2011 when she hopes to do yet another showcase of her paintings, first on the Placencia Peninsula and then in Punta Gorda.
“I would like to say thanks, first of all to God for giving me the gift to paint and write; thanks to my children: Elizabeth (who is my first masterpiece) and Charles (who is always there for me); my grandsons Kameron and Charles Jr.; my special someone and my rock in the storm Edzel Lopez; all my loving friends, and of course my patrons who have kept me going all these years. God bless you all.”
(Check out Lola’s activities at her blog: http://lolasartinbelize.blogspot.com/)