I have just returned from a painting trip to Michoacán in Mexico. Tianguis is a Nahuatl word for an open-air market, known since Pre-Hispanic times as an Aztec market. These markets have existed in Mexico since well before the 16th century when the Spanish Conquistadores arrived, and are a feast for the eyes. I spent a lot of time in these brilliantly chaotic, fascinating places with my small sketchbook. Everything is on sale here, from edible crickets, to gold and silver, to textiles and shoes, to food, plastic buckets and farming implements. Everything on the stands is curated with a zest for composition. The brilliant colours were a gift to me as an artist, and this painting is an attempt to convey the noise and chaos of the market. Following my current practice, I have used gold and silver leaf with watercolour and acrylic and collage techniques. It is not a literal reproduction of the Tianguis, but an emotional response to an extraordinary place in an extraordinary country.