Artists

This website profiles the many, many authors and artists (including photographers, musicians and actors) associated with Lake Chapala. It focuses mainly on individuals who lived or worked in the area from 1900 to 1980, and who are no longer with us. This index lists artists’ biographies currently (as of 3 July 2025) on this site (this companion page lists authors). This list continues to grow, so watch this space!

Seasonal / general:

• Artists who contributed to Amigos de Salud fundraising giftcards
• A Christmas Potpourri of Lake Chapala Links
• Galeria del Lago, Ajijic, and its 1972 Cookbook with Art
• Early stereoscopic photos of Lake Chapala
• Ajijic’s fame as an inexpensive art center in the 1950s
• The Ajijic Art Workshop in the 1950s
• Young Ajijic artists helped by Studio City, California
• Was this 1944 exhibition the greatest ever art show at Lake Chapala?
• Can a copy have as much merit as an original painting?
• Artists and authors who searched for idols at Lake Chapala
• Isidoro Pulido helped many of the greats of Chapala
• The literary and artistic connections of the Mi México building in Ajijic
• Artists linking Lake Chapala to the 1939-40 San Francisco World’s Fair
• Artist perceptions of Chapala Railroad Station (Centro Cultural González Gallo)

Art mysteries:

• Who painted this 1962 painting?
• Who is ‘daniel,’ the artist responsible for these drawings of Lake Chapala?
• Which “Ellen” painted this vibrant view titled “Chapala”?
• Who is the subject of this Tink Strother painting?
• Who is the artist of this silkscreen?
• SOLVED: Who painted these works from 1949/1950? (NB No direct connection to Lake Chapala)
• How long was muralist Marion Greenwood (1909-1970) in Chapala?
• Which photographer signed his work like this?
• Who is the Sid Sklar who exhibited in 1989?
• Who was Lilian Bruner?
• Who took this evocative 1935 photo of Lake Chapala?
• Who is the subject of this François de Brouillette portrait?
• Where did August Lohr paint this scene?
• Who are the subjects of this Francisco Padilla painting?
• Where did Muriel Lytton-Bernard learn to paint?
• SOLVED! This really is a church in Chapala!

Art groups and major collectives:

• Young Painters of Ajijic and Garden of Art (1970s)
• Grupo 68: an Ajijic art co-operative (1967-1971)
• Clique Ajijic: an art collective in the mid-1970s
• Clique Ajijic and friends, 1975
• The Fiesta de Arte in Ajijic in 1971
• The Ajijic Children’s Art Program (1954-present)
• The Illuminated Elephants (1982)
• Abel Briquet (1833-1926) and an early photograph of Lake Chapala? We stand corrected!

Movies – Lake Chapala on the silver screen

• El Escándalo (1920)
• La gran noticia (1922), directed by Carlos Noriega Hope
• El ametralladora (1943) (The Machine Gun)
• Guadalajara en Verano (1965)
• In Harm’s Way (1965)
• La invasión de los vampiros (1963)
• Ven a Cantar Conmigo (1967)

Artists:

• George Abend (1922-1976)
• Jesús H. Abitia Garcés (1881-1960)
• Charles “Chuck” Abbot (1894-1973)
• Guillermo de Alba (1874-1935)
• Ernest Alexander (1921-1974)
• Albert Alfredson (1907-1977)
• Fred ‘Fritz’ Alseth (1924-2006)
  • Sketches of Chapala and Ajijic in 1988
• Daphne Aluta (1919-2017)
• Mario Aluta (1904-1985)
• Emil Armin (1883-1971)
• José Arpa Perea (1858-1952)
• Avel-lí Artís-Gener (1912-2000) 
• Beth Avary (1941-2008)
• Ignacio Arzapalo (1837-1909)
• Milton Clark Avery (1885-1965)
• Howard Baer (1906-1986)
• The Luis Barragan-Witter Bynner house in Chapala
• Paul Alexander Bartlett (1909-1990)
• John Macarthur (“Jack”) Bateman (1918-1999)
• Michael Baxte (1900-1972)
• Russell Seeley Bayly (1919-2013)
• Toni Beatty (?-)
• Feliciano Béjar (1920-2007)
• Felix Bernardelli (1862-1908)
• Lucius Seymour Bigelow (1900-1978)
• Betty Binkley (1914-1978)
• Irene Bojus (1913-1985)
• Alfredo Bolongaro-Crevenna (1914-1996)
• Esther Born (1902-1987)
• Michael Boyd (1936-2015)
• Mildred Boyd (1921-2010)
• John Brandi (1943-)
• Hugo Brehme (1882-1954)
• Adela Breton (1849-1923)
• Abel Briquet (1833 -1926)
• Horace Bristol (1908-1977)
• F. Leonard Brooks (1911-2011)
• John A. Bruce (1931-2018)
• Tom Brudenell
  • Tom Brudenell reflects on Jocotepec, 1967-1970
• Lilian Bruner (?-?)
• Norman Burton (1923-2003)
• Ernesto Butterlin (1917-1964)
• Friedrich (Frederick) W. Butterlin (1904-1981)
• (Hanns) Otto Butterlin (1900-1956)
  • Otto Butterlin’s artistic legacy
• James (“Jim”) Byers, guitarist / painter (c 1940-2018)
• Alan, Elsa and Hilary Campbell
• Jean Caragonne (1906-1993)
• Mort Carl (1905-1985)
• Nancy Carline (1909-2004)
• Richard Carline (1896-1980)
• Felipe Castañeda (1933-)
• Pedro Castellanos Lambley (1902-1961)
• Guillermo Chávez Vega (1931-1990)
• John Russell Clift (1925-1999)
• Robert Clutton (1932-2016)
• Oscar Collier (1924-1998)
• Juan Compo (John Richmond) (1926-2013)
• Ray Cooper
• Alan Horton Crane (1901-1969)
• Marcella Crump (ca 1926-2017)
• Janet Matheson Cummings (1893-<1938)
• Lily Cushing (1909-1969)
• Nils Dardel (1888-1943) 
• Guillermo De Alba (1874-1935)
• Arne Dehli (1857-1942)
• Frieda Hauswirth Das (1886-1974)
• Alice de Boton (1906-2010)
• François de Brouillette (1906-1972)
• Henry F Edwards (1933-)
• Barbara Zacheisz Elstob (1924-1992)
• Charles Engebretson (1928-2017)
• Frédèric Faideau (1880-1954)
• Tom Faloon (1943-2014)
• Ixca Farias (1873-1947)
• Sylvia Fein (1919-2024)
  • Fein – Southeby’s Auction
  • Fein – missing artwork
• Jorge Fick (1932-2004)
• Gladys Brown Ficke (1890-1973)
• Michael Fischer (?-2018)
• Paul Fischer (1864-1932)
• Gustel Foust (1915-2010)
• Priscilla Frazer (1907-1973)
• John Frost (1923-2015) see also Joan Van Every Frost in writers
• Richard Frush (1951-2008)
• Stanley Fullerton (1935-2018)
• Librado V. García (“Smarth”) (1892-?)
• Renée George (1924-2010)
• Bill Gentes (1917-2000)
• Rowena Giraux, see Rowena Kirkpatrick
• Gerald Collins Gleeson (1915-1986)
• Winifred Godfrey (1944 -)
• Dorothy Goldner (1906-2005)
• Orville Charles Goldner (1906-1985)
• Francisco González Rubalcaba (?-?)
• Kai Gøtzsche (1886-1963)
• Jakob Granat (1871-1945)
• Raphael Greno (1909-1992) and Vee Greno (1917-1990)
  • Rafael Greno’s woodblock “Don Elpidio” of Ajijic
• Marion Greenwood (1909-1970)
• Eleanor Haas (1919-2001)
• Lez Haas (1911-2001)
• Paul Hachten (1934-)
• Hazel Hannell (1895-2002)
• Hubert Pickering Harmon (ca 1914-ca 2001)
• Sherman Harris (1909-1980)
• Jackie Hartley (ca 1921-1999)
• Frieda Hauswirth Das (1886-1974)
• Michael Heinichen (1944-2012)
• Esther Henderson (1911-2008)
• George Heneghan (1934-1999)
• Molly Heneghan (born 1942)
• Lee F. Hersch (1896-1953)
• Emil Holzhauer (1887-1986)
• Jemison Hoskins (1920-2010)
• Dorothy Hosmer (1910-2008)
• Lowell Houser (1902-1971)
• Blanche Phillips Howard (1908-1976)
• John Langley Howard (1902-1999)
• Paul Huf (1967-)
  • 40 years – multi-media exhibit
• Eunice and Peter Huf
  • Peter Paul Huf (1940-)
  • Eunice (Hunt) Huf (1933-2022)
  • Mexico My Home (booklet)
• Clark Hulings (1922-2011)
• Eunice Hunt (see Eunice Huf)
• Peter Hurd (1904-1984)
• Josefa – see Josefa Ibarra
• Lona Isoard (1904-1992)
• Leandro Izaguirre (1867-1941)
• Everett Gee Jackson (1900-1995)
• Lesley I. Jervis (1943-)
• Beverly Johnson (1933-1976)
  • Ajijic in the 1970s: Photos of Beverly Johnson
• Herbert Johnson (1877-1960)
  • Ajijic and area (1940s)
  • Photos from the 1940s
  • Quinta Johnson, Ajijic
  • Archaeological Sites
  • Central Mexico
  • Xochimilco
  • Horsemanship and Bullfights
• Mona Jordan (1908-1995)
• Josefa Ibarra (1919-2011) – the “mother of Mexican fashion design”
• Juan Kaiser (1858-1916)
• Todd “Rocky” Karns (1921-2000)
• David Holbrook Kennedy (1919-1942)
• Norah Kennedy (1917-2014)
• Frank Ward Kent (1912-1977)
• Duncan de Kergommeaux (b 1927)
• Nina Ketmer (1921-1965)
• Hari Kidd (1899-1964)
• John Maybra Kilpatrick (1902-1972)
• Rowena Girault Kirkpatrick (1914-1975)
• Richard Kitchin (1913-1991)
• Peg Kittinger (1895-1964)
• Buddy Ryan Kline (B. R. Kline)
• Clinton Blair King (1901-1979)
• Everett Kinstler (born 1926)
• Ernest Walter Knee (1907-82)
• Irma René Koen (1893-1975)
• Dimitar Iliev Krustev (1920-2013)
• Helen Marie Krustev (1933-)
• Eva Lange (1944-2017)
• Ra Rysiek (Rick / Richard) Ledwon (?-)
• Louis Ernest Lenshaw (1892-1988)
• Charmin Schlossman Levy (1917-2002)
• Ernesto Linares / Lin Linares – see Ernesto Butterlin
• August Lohr (1842-1920)
• Clarence Ainslie Loomis (1917-1994)
• Jaime López Bermúdez (1916-?)
• Carlos López Ruíz (1912-1972)
• Stanley B. Lothrop (1881-1944)
• Cynthia Luria (1943-)
• Muriel Lytton-Bernard (1890-1974)
• Roy Vincent MacNicol (1889-1970)
• Clarence Major (1936-)
• Carla Manger (1914-?)
• Luis Márquez (1899-1978)
• Gloria Marthai (1928-2011)
• Jim Marthai (1918-2005)
• Don Martin (1931-1989)
• Eleanor Mason-Armstrong (ca 1895-?)
• Leo Matiz (1917-1998)
• Janet Matheson Cummings (1893-<1938)
• Sumner W Matteson (1867-1920)
• Mary Fuller McChesney  (1922-2022)
  • Joe Rayter’s “Stab in the Dark”
• Robert Pearson McChesney (1913-2008)
• Anne McKeever (1928-2002)
• Herb McLaughlin (1918-1991)
• Ann Sonia Medalie (1896-1991)
• Emily Meeker (1908-1983)
• Violette Mège (1889-1968)
• John Liggett Meigs (1916-2003)
• Basil Merrett (1910-1969)
• Arthur Merrill (1885-1973)
• Gail Michel de Guzmán (1935-2020)
• Bert Miller (1915-2005)
  • Sampling of his photos of Chapala
• Sid Miller (1912-1998)
• William Colfax Miller (1911-1995)
• Harry Mintz (1907-2002)
• Arthur Monroe (1935-2019)
• Edward Percy Moran (1862-1935)
• Jim Moran (1908-1999)
• Leticia Moreno Buenrostro (1930-2016)
• David Morris (1911-1999) and Helen Morris (1917-1992)
• Carl Mose (1903-1973)
• Zoë Mozert (1907-1993)
• Thurston Munson (1906-1998)
• Alexander Nicolas Muzenic (1919-1976)
• Alfredo Navarro España (1921-2003)
• Robert Neathery (1918-1998)
• Trude Neuhaus (1899-1961)
• David Sinclair Nixon (1904-1973)
• Eugene Nowlen (1899-1977)
• Marjorie Nowlen (1901-1998)
• Francisco Ochoa (1946-2006)
• Nancy Harris Ocrant (1931-2012)
• Juan Olivares Sánchez(1944-2022)
• José Othón de Aguinaga (1873-1972)
• Bernard Oulie (1943-)
• Florentino Padilla (ca 1943-ca 2010)
  • Mystery subject of painting
• Gerry Peirce (1900-1969)
• Allen Pendergraft (1918-2005)
• Wes Penn (1935-1970)
• Xavier Pérez Aguilar (1942-1999)
• Walt Peters (1894-1985)
• John Kenneth Peterson (1922-1984)
• Synnove Pettersen (b 1944)
• Tully Judson Petty (1928-1992)
• De Nyse W. Turner Pinkerton (1917-2010)
• Max Pollack (1886-1970)
• Charles Pollock and his Chapala Series (1955-56)
• Elma Pratt (1888-1977)
• Julián Pulido Pedrosa (c 1958-1987)
• Bert Pumphrey (1936-2002)
• Eugenio Quesada (1927-2011)
• Georg Rauch (1924-2006)
  • Georg Rauch: Playground Designs
• Phyllis Porter Rauch (1938-2021)
• Herbert (Herb) Rhodes (active 1960s, 1970s)
• John Richmond aka Juan Compo (1926-2013)
• Adolfo Riestra (1944-1989)
• Grant Risdon (c 1943-2018)
• Richard Robbins (1863-1908)
• Jo Lee Rodke (1893-1978)
• Alfred Rogoway (1900–1990)
• Philip Rosheger (1950-2013) – musician
• Abby Rubinstein (born 1928)
• Jules Rubinstein (1908-1990)
• Johann Moritz Rugendas (1802-1858)
• Jack Rutherford (born 1931)
• Luis Sahagún Cortés (1900-1978)
• Sylvia Salmi (1909-1977)
• Alfredo Santos (1927-2015)
• Charmin Schlossman (1917-2002)
• Ferdinand Schmoll (1879-1950)
• Tobias (“Toby”) Schneebaum (1922-2005)
• Mel Schuler (1924-2012)
• Sidney Schwartzman (1917-2002)
• Winfield Scott (1863–1942)
• Jorge Seimandi (1929-2013)
• Gustavo Sendis (1941-1989)
• Donald Shaw (1934-2015)
• Inez Rogers Shearer (1889-1981)
• Sarah Hunt Shearer (1919-2005)
• Millard Sheets (1907-1989)
• Haig Shekerjian (1922-2002)
• Regina Shekerjian (1923-2000)
• Bruce Sherratt (b 1944)
• Lesley I. Sherratt, see Lesley Jervis
• Masaharu Shimada (born 1931)
• Ben Shute (1905-1986)
• Cynthia Siddons (ca 1945-)
• Sid Sklar (1924-2015)
• Alice Jean Small (1918-2009)
• Eleanor Smart (1909-1993)
• Dorian Smedley-Kohl
• Peter Smithers (1913-2006)
• Robert Snodgrass (1912-1983)
• Stanley George Sourelis (1925-2006)
• James Stegg (1922-2001)
• Louis Stettner (1922-2016)
• Jean Taylor Strange (1919-ca 2015)
• Eleanor Margarite “Tink” Strother (1919-2007)
  • Whose portrait is this?
• Jan Sullivan (1921-2016)
• Charles Frederick Surendorf (1906-1979)
• Walden Swank (1933-)
• John Thompson (1929-1988)
• Clara Schafer Thorward (1887-1969)
• Tisner – see Avel-lí Artís-Gener 
• Donald Cecil Totten (1903-1967)
• Leonie Trager (1922-1984)
• Mym Tuma (born 1940)
• Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008)
• Jacques Van Belle (c 1924-2012)
  • The “Hotel Laguna” in Ajijic
• Gerald van de Wiele (1932-)
• Margaret Van Gurp (1926-2020)
• Garrett Van Vranken (1887-1961)
• Roland Varno (1908-1996)
• Joe Vines (?-)
• Allen Wadsworth (c 1939-)
• Carlo Wahlbeck (1933-)
• Marion D Freeman Wakeman (1891-1954)
• Edythe Wallach (1909-2001)
• Betty Warren (1920-1993)
• Charlotte Speight Wax (1919-)
• Jack Weatherington (1933-2008)
• Helmuth Wellenhofer (1935-)
• Volkmar Wentzel (1915-2006)
• Vera Wise (1892-1978)
• Peter Woltze (1860-1925)
• Charles Lewis Wrenn (1880-1952)
• Ann Wuerslin (1930-2009)
• Lothar Wuerslin (1927-1982)
• Richard Yip (1919-1981)
• Barbara Zacheisz Elstob (1924-1992)
• Barbara Zagoria (b 1933)

Comments, corrections and additional material are welcome, whether via the comments feature or email.