JAIME OATES (1912 – 2005)

Jaime Oates

http://www.taxco-today.com/
Tossa de Mar, Spain May 3, 1912/Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico August 16, 2005

Born in Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava in Spain, of English and Spanish parentage, Jaime grew up in Spain and later trained as an artist in Britain. After finishing his studies he returned to Spain only to find the restrictive environment under Franco’s dictatorship to be unacceptable. He and his new Spanish wife, Roser, moved to Mexico. After living for a short while in the capital, they moved on to live in Taxco in 1955 where Jaime began teaching at the art school founded by Leslie and Fidel Figueroa. When the art school closed, Jaime no longer taught, but he did make painting his life’s work. When Roser died, Jaime was bereft and only after many years did he marry again. This time it was to Mexican born Bertha Alicia Paredes.
In his time in Taxco, Jaime purchased a beautiful colonial home on one of the high meandering callejones, called Altos de Redondo. The house, named Huitzilan, soon found itself undergoing artistic modifications. Jaime built himself a large roof top studio which soon expanded with a glass walled living room, large terraces, a dining room and finally a kitchen. In time these spaces became an apartment that Jaime rented. We were lucky enough to have lived there for a few years always marveling at the artist’s creation. It was a magical place.

Jaime painted every day of his life until the last few years when he was incapacitated. He had exhibitions here in Taxco, in Mexico City, and in Spain and supported himself with his work which no one will dispute portrayed the magic of Mexico.