Early in 2014 Simonson finally decided where he would settle next. He moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at the end of October, and quickly found a small apartment and set up a temporary painting studio in his bedroom. It was cramped and far from ideal, but he loved Mexico, loved living in a new place, and loved immersing himself in a new culture and language. About 6 months after his arrival, he made a wonderful discovery: a place called ArtVallarta.
ArtVallarta, says Simonson, is a bit like a Puerto Vallarta version of Lincoln’s Parrish Studios. It’s a community of artists and art lovers, with studios for painting, pottery, creative cooking, and classes of all kinds. When he met the owner and director, Nathalie Herling, the two hit it off immediately. So in summer 2015, Simonson rented a studio space at ArtVallarta. After a few months of working in that studio, Nathalie urged Simonson to begin teaching painting classes. His classes were an immediate hit and he was teaching new students every week, sometimes needing to turn students away because of limited space. The artist had found a new home in Mexico.
Simonson working in his studio at ArtVallarta in Puerto Vallarta, 2015
A sampling of Simonson art produced during the first few months at ArtVallarta