The Story of the Painter, Composer and Artist - Milton Hebbert Watson (aka Black Snake)

Milton Hebbert Watson's (aka Black Snake) interest in drawing and painting started when he was in primary school in the small village of Tasbapounie, right on the Carribean coast in Nicaragua. There were only about 350-400 people living in the village and they mainly lived of agriculture and fishing.

Shortly after the revolution in Nicaragua in 1979, Milton started teaching drawing and painting in the Cultural House of Bluefields, a major city on the Carribean coast. After a few years teaching he was granted a scholarship to study art in one of the major schools in the capital of Nicaragua. His hard work granted him another scholarship, this time to Sweden and three years in Årjäng folkhögskola.

Miltons journey to becoming an artist and a painter has been full of hardships, setbacks and very hard work but also dreams coming true, love and learning along the way. Looking back on this journey has taught him to fight for what he wants and to see solutions rather than problems. Another lesson taught is that no man is an island and he is forever grateful for all the people who believed in him along the way.

Drawing was something that he did every day for fun and when he didn´t have paper he would use cardboard or whatever he could find. The lack of materials also meant that Milton had to make his own paint brushes from thick grass, chicken feathers and horse tail. Paint was not easy to come by in the village so Milton would wait for when some neighbour painted their house and offer to help. He would bring an empty baby food container and sneak some leftover paint into it when the house owner went for lunch. Not only did he get some paint to keep his interest alive, he also became a skilled house painter in the process.

The journey continues…