Plein-Air Painting with Jacinto Guevara

Larry photographing the artist, Jacinto Guevara, Echo Park

On Sunday, Larry and I drove over to Echo Park Avenue at Montana Street in Echo Park to visit with our long-time friend, Jacinto Guevara while he was painting a scene on the street. Jacinto loves old Los Angeles architecture, the more dilapidated, the better.

We met Jacinto years ago when he was playing conjunto accordion and guitar in different Los Angeles bands. There was quite an American roots music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. We were all hopping from one club to another to listen to bands. We met at clubs like the King King on La Brea and 6th, Raji's on East Hollywood Boulevard, The Palomino in North Hollywood, the Central on the Sunset Strip, the punk club, Al's Bar, downtown L.A. and tons of other places around the Los Angeles area. It wasn't unusual for us to be out every single night seeing bands. Of course, we'd never go to a club on Saturday night, that was for amateurs, not real music lovers!

Diane Lujan and Jacinto Guevara, Los Angeles

During this time, we were interested in all types of roots music, including the blues, rockabilly, Cajun, Zydeco, Conjunto, Polka and more! Conjunto Music is Mexican-American music that has been influenced by the music of German immigrants to Texas. The accordionist, Flaco Jimenez is a very popular musician in this genre. Once we found out about the Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio, we traveled there with many of our friends to experience this music in its home. We went back the next year and fell in love with San Antonio. Jacinto really fell in love with the city, because he and few of his other bandmates from Los Angeles ended up moving to San Antonio. That was almost 30 years ago!

Jacinto and Larry, Echo Park

Jacinto still performs occasionally, but since his move he has concentrated on his artwork more. His paintings are in the collections of many celebrities, including Cheech Marin and Eric Clapton. You can read more about Jacinto's artwork HERE.  When we found out that he was visiting Los Angeles, we made it a point to stop by his painting location to say hello.

Jacinto lived in Echo Park and East Los Angeles as a youth. He remembers the neighborhood fondly and wanted to memorialize a few of the buildings before they are torn down! Yesterday, he was painting the barbershop.

Barbershop, Echo Park Ave., painting in progress by Jacinto Guevara, 2021

Google screenshot of the Barbershop, Echo Park Ave. at Montana St., Echo Park

I definitely think that Jacinto has made the Barbershop building look better in his painting than it does in real life! He even painted one of those famous Echo Park stairways!

Today he is working on a scene in City Terrace, East L.A. Here's a screenshot of his subject:

City Terrace Drive and Ramboz, ELA

There are lots of run-down buildings in old Los Angeles that make great subjects for paintings!

Glad that we were able to visit with Jacinto during his short visit to Los Angeles!