Matanzas Series - Pastel
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About Matanzas Matanzas Lake is an offshoot of the Illinois River southwest of Havana, Illinois. The area around the lake is known as Matanzas Beach. The shoreline is packed with fishing cabins, summer getaways, and modern residences. In the 20's and 30's, the area was a popular gambling and party spot for Chicagoans (even Al Capone!). In the spring, when the river is high due to heavy rain or snow in Chicago, river and fish overflow into the lake. Serious fishermen ride through The Cut in tricked-out bass boats for the catch of the day. Early morning hunters ease into The Duck Blind and soft booms of gunshots carry across the lake. Barges mope up and down the river with long, low, heavy sound. Tugboat drivers wave to kids on the beach. On sunny summer weekends, the lake churns with jet skis, pontoons, fishing boats, kayaks, and ski boats towing brave souls on water toys, splashing in the wake. A Matanzas night is really dark. Billions of stars fill the sky. Time slows, people laugh, and life is good. I‘ve been coming to Matanzas Beach since I was 8 years old. My family rented cabins in the summer - the Brigadoon (next to the boat launch), the Sans Souci, and others. In 1960, my grandmother purchased the Dwight Zimmerman cabin at the southern end of the lake, next door to Claude and Marie Randall. So many Matanzas memories are burned into my mind: swimming, fishing, water skiing, violent storms, searing sun, the Ivanhoe, the drive-in, shopping in town, the A&W, the riverfront, the bridge, and more. My daughter spent summers there, and now my grandchildren too. I want to keep those memories through my artwork. Matanzas is pronounced MUH-TAN-ZUH. |
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