A spectacular painting full of colour, history and magic. Painted in Peru, this John Dyer canvas features guinea pigs, hummingbirds, flamingoes, ibis and more. A stunning hot sky radiates warmth and energy. The painting is full of stories. If you love the art of John Dyer and the landscape of Peru this painting will resonate with you.

"The potato festival, which celebrates the earth and Pachamama, is rooted in the need for the harvest to succeed and for the ability of the people to be able to forecast the weather and seasons. The people look at many natural signs to help them judge what and when to plant. The diversity of animals, birds and fish are used as signs for how the coming season will be. The island has two distinct seasons, a wet summer and a dry winter and this painting captures, I hope, the importance of the culture, environment, biodiversity and seasons. Potatoes are spread on the ground to bake in the day and freeze at night; the temperature plunges from 25°C to sub-zero each evening. Often the people will trample the potatoes underfoot to squeeze the last drops of moisture out. This freeze-drying not only allows the crop to be stored for decades as a food source, but it also triples the value of the crop when trading on the mainland. Last year in the dry cold season it suddenly rained unexpectedly causing the loss of much of the harvest as it laid exposed in the fields. This year, following the many hours of dancing, music, beer drinking and coca leaf chewing, should be a better result!" John Dyer

Item Information

Artist Information Links

Read about artist John Dyer 

Artist Chronology I Paintings in Public Collections I View John Dyer's Latest Paintings