jewelry artisan

Working in oil on canvas, Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal celebrates the beauty of Lake Atitlan with its cold, deep waters. The Guatemalan artist paints the view from a cobblestone lane on the shore. In the distance, the San Pedro and Tolimán volcanoes stand tall above the blue lake.

Titled "Lago de Atitlán II" in Spanish.

The colonial city of Antigua awakens to a new day, bathed in the radiance of the yellow dawn. Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal depicts a cobblestone street in the picturesque town. "Antigua is one of my favorite places in Guatemala," the artist says.

The afternoon sun is radiant in the colonial city of Antigua with its colorful houses and dazzling flowers. Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal depicts a cobblestone street in the picturesque town with its guardian Volcano del Agua rising tall in the distance. The Guatemalan artist signs his work as "Boni."

Titled "Calle colonial" in Spanish.

Houses line an unpaved lane recently washed by rain. Behind rustic wood fences, flowering bushes fill the scene with colors in this enchanting work by Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal. He depicts the town of Zunil, nestled amid the fertile hillside farmland of Quetzaltenango, ably conveying its sensations of peace and well-being. The Guatelmalan artist signs his work as "Boni."

At the end of the day, a shepherd walks his sheep through the streets of Comalapa. Neighbors go about their daily shores, carrying firewood and water while a boy plays with a puppy. "I saw this myself in my own hometown," says artist Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal, who signs his work as "Boni." "I wanted to share it through a painting."

Titled "Ovejera" in Spanish.

The Volcan de Agua rises above the picturesque town of Antigua, standing watch over a cobblestone street. Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal depicts the Calle de los Pasos, and the bell tower of the School of Christ Church. "I like this street because of its many chapels, a total of 12," the Guatemalan artist confides. "Antigua is a town of vivid colors. I enjoy walking with my children in this colonial city."

Titled "Calle de los Pasos" in Spanish.

Neighbors go about their daily shores in a small Guatemalan village. Carrying a hoe over his shoulder, a man walks homeward past women drawing water from the well and a boy who feeds the chickens and turkey. An older woman kneels beneath a shade tree to weave on a backstrap loom. "This is a scene I saw in my own hometown," says artist Bonifacio Maxia Cutzal, who signs his work as "Boni." "I was on my way home from delivering some paintings when I paused to watch this family at work, and I wanted to share a glimpse of my country."

Titled "Tejedora" in Spanish.