After formalities, Charlotte and Rigoberto got down to business on what would be the project for this class.

Yesterday marked the first day of class for Charlotte.  It was a great adventure just getting to the studio more or less on time.  I stand once again amazed at the whole Brasilian Culture!  These people have to go to work everyday just like you and I. (Oh, wait a minute, I don’t have to do that anymore!)  So I guess I should say like some of y’all still have to.  Anyway, my point is they ride for maybe 30 to 40 kilometers to work, taking maybe two or three forms of public transportation, (bus, subway, etc.) and still manage to get to work on time.  We won’t even carpool with anyone and can’t make it by ourselves in a car that we drive.

Anyway, we left the hotel at 8:00 a.m. heading for the studio.  First we walk three blocks down to the metro entrance.  Then we ride the metro about half of the distance to the studio.  We get off the metro and look for a bus going the rest of the way.  One passes us by, full. There are literally busses stacked in two lanes for as far as you can see but you have to look for the number on the front of the bus indicating the one you need and get your hand in the air in plenty of time or he won’t stop.  We wait for another twenty minutes for the next one to come by but I can’t stand the wait any longer so we get a cab.  We fight traffic that makes the  ones in Dallas look like a Sunday drive.  We pull up in front of the studio only five minutes late!. (10:05 a.m.)  It took us a little over two hours to get about 19 miles.  If I was in my Marathon running shape, I could have beat the time almost on foot.

We meet the artist face to face for the first time.  Charlotte had been following his work on Facebook for some time.  Rigoberto Barcos is originally from Chile but has been in Brasil for the last 23 years.  The first day is a one-on-one session with only Charlotte and Rigoberto exchanging ideas and planning what they will paint during these four days.  After a full day of class, we leave the studio at about 5:30 p.m. and head back to our hotel.  This time we get a bus that takes us to within about 10 blocks of our hotel.  The only problem was it wasn’t an express bus and we took two hours to get there!  Whe we got off the bus, we were in a sort of food court where there were probably 500 people sitting outside drinking beer and eating all sorts of fast food.  The night was beautiful so we found us a table and sat down and enjoyed the food and the culture.  Brasilians love to talk and drink beer.  I think they would fit in pretty good at the American Legion Post back in Dallas!

After a couple chopps, (drafts) and pieces of deep fried chicken that looks like it was chopped up by Ray Charles, we were off to our room where we fell in bed and passed out.  At 5:30 a.m. the sun was shining in our window so we got up and began the cycle all over again.

Going to painting class is not for sissys here!