The Story of the Watercolors

This month's cover is a copy of the watercolor of the Labna Arch that is part of a series of prints done by local watercolor artist and publisher of Yucatan Today Juan Manuel Mier y Teran. The Labna Arch is located in Labna, a Mayan site that is part of the Puuc Route. Other sites on this route are Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil and X-Lapak. The Labna Arch, a true architectural feat is considered by many to be one of the most photographed vestiges of the Maya. This ornate arch was the gateway entrance to Labna, located at the end of a sac-be (white road) that led to Uxmal. Measuring 42 feet wide and 20 feet tall, the arch is a fine example of the Mayan or corbelled archway.

For the many people that know Juan Manuel, not all know his hobby is painting watercolor. Coming from a family of artistically inclined people, his brother is Juan Pablo is a known artist in Merida who has had shows internationally over the years. Many people are surprised to learn that Juan Manuel also paints.

On a trip to Amsterdam in November 2003, Juan Manuel saw rack and racks of watercolor prints of Dutch themes - wind mills, canals, boats, the tall narrow houses, etc. that the tourists and locals were all buying. Knowing his passion is watercolor, that he has the printing company, is in the tourism business and that nothing like this is available locally, he came home and got to work.

The series of watercolors that Juan Manuel has done is a series of twelve originals that he painted in November and December 2003. He then had them scanned and printed at the printing company he owns

The Cathedral in the Zocalo

(Dynamic Offset) where Yucatan Today is printed. It is these very factors - him being the artist that painted the originals and him being the owner of the printing company - that makes it possible for him to get these prints to the public so inexpensively.

The series of twelve that he has done include the Kukulkan pyramid and Observatory in Chichen Itza, the Adivino pyramid in Uxmal, the Five Story pyramid in Edzna, Campeche, Tulum pyramid, a Mayan Watchtower in Quintana Roo, the Cathedral in Merida, the Casa Montejo, the Ermita de Santa Isabel, the Itzimna Church, the Seven Dolls pyramid in Dzibichaltun and our cover, the Labna Arch.

Painted in watercolor and printed in offset on imported opulina paper each print measures 28 cm by 35 cm (13 in. by 11 in), includes an explanation of the subject in English and Spanish and is packaged on cardboard and wrapped in cellophane to ensure easy packing in suitcases and the prints not getting bent and folded.

For more information or to order your own Yucatan Watercolors, please visit our Watercolors page.

To read in Spanish click here