Mericoles

I am finishing the datura flower painting, ruined another painting, completed a sudoku puzzle, taking pictures of all the art, I am just so busy. I have got to slow down...what a life here, huh?

My friend, Patricia is back in the hospital in San Jose, still with severe infection in her body from a cut on her leg. So scary. She is just not feeling good enough to even paint this week, fever, and alot of pain.

The sun is shining again today, weather is beautiful, the bamboo creaking out the window in the wind, sky is so blue.

Some kind of large green insect dropped on my computer last night, I saw it on the ceiling earlier and sure enough it fell! Captured it in a box and let it outside. It might have been some kind of cricket like with a almond shaped body. Will have look it up now.

Hey my announcement of my exhibit was in the Tico Times this week, oh boy now it will be so crowded...hee hee.

Feliz Navidad

Look what I found outside my door this morning, I have no idea how it got there....could it have been brought by, you know, someone magical.... mmmm?

Review

Ok, this is the painting, sorry the other photo of the passion flower was a photograph of one, sorry for the confusion. I know my paintings are good but not that good.....Moving right along, believe it, it is raining as I speak here, The first rain since I have been here, it is refreshing, I have long sleeves on this morning, drinking my hot coco, catching up emails, (lost internet communacado last night), oh no...back in the saddle. Bringing home Patricia from hospital today around noon, she will have a difficult time healing, but probably faster in more comfortable surrounding here in colony. She can at least do some painting here.

I working delinquently at my art, presentation skills are in order right now for my exhibit, some PR, other details as they arise, what a chore, looking forward to seeing it all up on the walls now. It's looking good. Check out smugmug account under "Art"...national gallery exhibit as I add new pieces to the slide show there. I am pleased with this 4 year series, I have been working on. It has given me momentum, a chance for exploration, discovery of new culture, new friends too. I could cry, I am such a whimp today, geesh. To be continued....

Buenas dias
I have been here for 2 1/2 weeksnow, I am being very productive, getting ready for this exhibit coming up January 5th, lots of stuff to do, PR, matting pieces, finishing pieces, working on new pieces. So busy everyday doing something here. Of course I take a break and go to the pool for about an hour, geesh give me break. After this exhibit I will be able to relax truly when Aja & Stef come down. I am so looking forward to them coming. Hopefully going to the beach and seeing more and photographing more of this beautiful country.

My friend Patricia here has fallen ill, she developed a staf infection in her leg. We brought her to the hospital on Wednesday, spent all day with her and she is resting and being pampered. Not sure if she will come home today, if so we will all pitch in and take care of her while she recoups.

It's pool time! Hasta luego

I know I am quilty of not attending to my blog this year, I am a slacker! I have to slow down...I am just working to hard here in Costa Rica...I am, I am, honest. I noticed I am not taking as many pictures than before, that is ok, I will run out of room on my computer anyway. I am painting alot, working on new work and working on older ones as well. My exhibit coming up January 5th, 2010 here in CR will keep me busy. Here is one new painting of Bamboo I just did today.

Two birds flew into my window and died today, so sad, a little yellow one and a tiny hummingbird.

Had to break into Diedra's studio, she locked her keys inside, broke the screwdriver to take apart window, reached on table and retrieved them....Success!

Friday going to a small B&B to paint the view of the canyon, great spot, open living room to set up in, might be there for a few days, just during the day though as a visitor, however I am going to the mountains with Bernarda to visit a friend of hers for an overnight on Saturday, should be wonderful ride. Hey I can even take more pictures, love to go to places I have never been before.

Orquideologia

Willy & Pat invited me go to an Orchid show in Grecia. It really was spectacular! Flowers in every color of the rainbow. They have a wonderful collection thmeselves, tiny ones to extrordinary ones. So I feel an "orchid" series coming on real strong. Boy this studio gets so hot in the afternoon, three fans going. Still working on my "passion flowers" piece, new this year. Hope to get more new ones done as well as finishing up all the others I bought down here with me. I decided to stay in tonight, others went to a concert in Colon. Drawing is on my agenda.

Bernarda took us for a ride to see a potential spot to paint near the canyon. The spot was a B&B, really beauitful called Casa Bella Rita, but really did not len itself to setting up in to paint for the dasy, so we found our familiar spot of last year to go back to realy soon. Not many places to pull of the road to paint, roads are thin and lots of cars whizzing by. So we are in a predicament sort of, looking for special places to paint other than the colony. I had some "ceviche" today for dinner, it was awesome and also a fruit/vegetable indgenious to Costa Rica, a small pepper-like shape and tastes like a cooked potatoe. Very good. Pejibaye , a relative of the coconut, is one of Costa Rica's most unusual treats. Pejibayes grow in clusters on palm trees, like miniature coconuts. The part that you eat would correspond to the fibrous husk, while the hard pejibaye seed, when cracked open, reveals a thin layer of bitter white meat around a hollow core. The bright orange or red pejibayes are delicious boiled in salted water, then peeled, halved and pitted and eaten alone or with mayonnaise. You'll see them sold on San Jose streets year a round. Their flavor is difficult to describe. They are not sweet, but more a combination of chestnut and pumpkin with a thick, fibrous texture. You can buy a racimo (bunch) of raw pejibayes at the Mercado Borbon and boil them up for parties, or you can buy them in the supermarkets peeled and canned to take home as souvenirs.

Passion

Well, the bells are ringing in the town because it is 6:00 o'clock, they ring twice a day, who needs a watch. Painted today...Passion flowers are in bloom at the poolside along with some purple flowers, white and orange too and of course green trailing leaves abound with litle curly vines sprouting about. Gorgeous, everything is green right now, December is green after all the rainy season has ended. There is talk about the orchids blooming too, have not seen them yet. A sight to see tomorrow, always something new to see everyday.

Now looking forward to going to an opening at the National Gallery where I will be exhibiting in January 2010.

In the Beginning

Settling in for the winter here in Costa Rica again. It's warm, the red passion flower blooming around the pool. There are some changes, new faces at the colony, some new roads leading to the coasts. Did some grocery shopping, prices not any dfferent than at home. I am ready to paint, experiment, discover and see things in a different light.

season’s GLITTER

It was winter and the wind blew, and the full moon’s glow captured the white snowflakes falling...ever so gently...down from the cold north like glitter, finally resting on my earth.

It was spring and as the currents shifted in the water on the cove, the paths of shimmering moonlight looked like glitter dancing across my sea.

It was summer and the night was warm, the landscape flickered with fireflies like glitter scattered amongst my roses and cosmos.

It was fall and the night was midnight blue, and the air was crisp with twinkling starlights that swept across my sky like glitter.

by Lorraine Bromley

Ukrainian Art Museum

Finally I got some confidence to find the art museum. It was worth it. Amazing works of art, from religious icons to contemporary artists. Small museum, but packed with diverse masterpieces. No photographs in museum, but did take many notes and artists names to research later. Ukrainian life in the early 1900's, winter scenes, oil paintings, graphics, & prints, were mainly exhibited.

Art-Music-Dance

Opera "Traviatta" was cancelled. So we walked with friends, Irina & Igor through a wonderful section of Kyiv, parks, architecture, fountains, views of left bank, lots of picture taking, history, rainbows, rain, subway, water museum, puppet theater, graffitti, monuments, stadium, listened to street musicians, watched some kids dancing in an open theater, a little bit of everything.

This picture with ribbons and locks is from a walkway called "The Kissing Bridge". It's where couples come to lock their love with promises together with padlocks, there must be thousands locked to both sides of railings over a main road into the upper city.

Ukraine Contrasts

The bed sheets are too small.......but a woman comes in to change bed every 4 days. Can not find a hamburger anywhere....but
There is a washing machine in our apartment....but you have to open it with a spoon. Can find prepared frozen shrimp in market ...but you can find the ones that you have to cut off the head, devein and shell. Walking everywhere is faster than taking a taxi or bus or subway. Outrageous styles in clothes in city...but quality is really bad and expensive. Buildings are beautiful on the outside and not finished in the inside. Bathroom has just a bathtub...toilet in another separate room. I think I am rather spoiled.
to be continued...

Some whimsical drawings of buildings inspired by the churches in Kyiv.

"White Walls of Kyiv"
7 x7 watercolor by L. Bromley

I still think I will put a few more details on this one, after looking at it now online. Went to the "market" today, small booths of the most outrageous clothes, leather, fur coats, book, cds, videos, pastries, kind of like outdoor fair where locals do there shopping, the malls are so expensive and not the best quality. You don't really buy clothes in Ukraine anyway. But the women really dress up, heels, skirts, dresses, they dress rather sexy. Raining now, but just passing showers. Bought the best nectarines I ever had. Been doing some sketches of many buildings, in B&W marker. One gallery the other day showed me work from different artists and some were just drawings, I would like to gather a series of drawings of Ukraine buildings for myself. to be continued

Kyiv Post-English newspaper..www.kyivpost.com


Walked and walked today to parts unknown, found a mall and bought a shirt and realized after I bought it that it was the wrong size. Well, I needed an interpreter to help me, it took in hour to exchange it, yes also needed my passport, 2 signatures, paperwork, unbelievable! Will never do that again, remnants of soviet rules.

The skies are very dramatic here, don't know if it is the time of year or what, but it is so picturesque, fluffy, big thunder clouds, all the time.

Lunch at Olivas, Italian restaurant we found and have been there alot lately. Atmosphere of an Italian kitchen with pots hanging and shelves of stacked wood and flowers, bottles etc..., one very important thing, they speak English, very reasonable prices and great food. Tonight, grilled cheese at home. I could use a beer, one of about a thousand choices, it is not considered alcohol here. There are "kids" walking around with big bottles of beer I see in hand all day. Young teenagers! Big alcoholic population here, with 40 kinds of vodkas made here in the Ukraine and the age at which they start drinking, it is a big problem, average life of a man is 62. Lots of pubs, lots of drinking. mmmm

Getting alot more comfortable getting around city, I think I will try to find the museums next week. There is alot of art here. Quite exciting!

"In the Moment"
Drawing of Main Street in Ukraine from Cafe House
black marker on napkin

Thoughts.......great meals with new friends...blogging, painting, drawing, discovering, sympathy, empathy, creating, loving, writing, journaling, photographing, discussing, traveling, wishing & learning.

Kyiv Walking Tour

Bubushka Flowers (detail), watercolor by Lorraine Bromley 2009

Finicular (Tram) up the hill, parks, mansions, monuments, monasteries, cathedrals, palaces, dramatic skies, artists, musicians, folk crafts, babushkas, lots of beers, cafes, embroidered shirts, scarfs, potatoes, crepes, flower shops, river, spectacular views of Kyiv and the most wonderful guide, Vlad.

I am having the most difficult time deciding what to paint!
(I know poor me.)

Thinking of you Aja, hoping you are feeling better today after your surgery.)

Trinity

The Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life was really quite amazing. This beautiful museum is set on over 150 acres of beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Kyiv in a small town named Pyrogove. It shows the spiritual and cultural life along paths, fields, cottages, gardens.Cal's friend Olga took us there with her son, we had a nice sunny day and a lunch where we tried all the traditional dishes, marinated vegetables, borcht, sweets, a drink made from fermented bread, hard to describe, non-alcoholic, supposed to be very good for you. I describe it as a bread tea.

Of course I took too many photos and edited for you to see the beautiful cottages and gardens. Spring was a great time to see this place when flowers are in bloom. Artist were painting, music, dancing and many woman were decorating for the "Trinity" holiday here with leaves tucked in every corner of the inside of the houses and outside.

Every day I play!

"Every day I play with the light of the universe", I line from a great poem by Pablo Neruda. It happens to be my theme in a class I am in the middle of and I am living it. We play with it everyday!

This is a picture of some really old postcards attached as wallpaper in a restaurant we went into last night. So cool! We ordered one thing and got another. No english on menu, we had to call a friend on the cell phone to order for us and still they got it wrong, that is the way it is here, you think one thing going to happen and yet another...happens.

You know some things in this country do not make any sense like putting all kinds of pastries for dessert on the menu, five pages worth and then having none of them to offer to customers. Just to tease me...I did find the most delicious little cream puffs at the market, thank God, I might turn into one! Now take the pillow cases, they go on the long way here, that makes perfect sense to me, why don't we do that in the states? They are so hard to put on aren't they? We do stupid things sometimes.

Found a really tiny art supply store yesterday. I would not have found it if Vlad did not tell us about it. He walked us over to it, behind some larger buildings, in a courtyard, hole in the wall place, I bought a tool to draw/paint/letter with, it is made of blown glass and has a large well. Anyway, will play with it, it cost 1.30.

Stop and smell the roses?...ok I did, found this wonderful little private rose garden on my walk. And you could actually smell the roses as you passed them, they were all in bloom, every color against this blue house.

Last night after a short walk to the subway, we went to the opera, Tosca, it was wonderful. Would love to go to another, and another, and another. Cal tried to show me how to get around on the subway, there is no way I am going to venture very far out without him. Too confusing! Took a nice walk back along one of the main streets (six lanes) in Kyiv (Kiev), one that they close off every weekend so that millions of people can stroll along it, we will walk it this weekend. Many monuments and beautiful architecture. Street musicians ect...


This is picture of some graffitti under a bridge, colorful huh?

Well, I am settling in, made dinner, caught up news, did laundry, kind of nice to have washing machine in apt. Can't read anything on it, all kinds of dials, but I just put soap in and pressed a button, worked. Amazing! Took a walk around the block, for some air and stopped and bought a ham & cheese sandwich and was short on some change, I think it was .07, I'll pay her tomorrow.

I really want to do some drawing outside but not that comfortable among the "peoples" yet.

Ok I am trying to cook after coming back from the market, I have no idea what I bought, can't read the packages. I thought, I will make pasta and sauce tonight before going to the Opera. I bought linguine, (my favorite), I can see it in the package, I know it is linguine and I bought some gorgonzola and spinach filled raviolis from Italy, I bought a jar of tomato sauce and figured I could doctor it up with garlic and spices and olives. It tastes terrible! And the olives I bought in a can happenend to still have the pits in them, geez....The tomato sauce does not even taste like tomatoes, what is with that? How can you screw up tomatoe? I should've bought fresh tomatoes, but I did not want to wait in the long line to weigh them first. I learned my lesson, and the garlic came out of a jar, tastes awful, I will buy fresh again of garlic and wait in the damn line. I hope I can make something of the pasta meal, Oh yea I thought I bought butter for garlic bread, but no I bought cream cheese. Bring on the bagels? I will stick to potatoe "anything" now, Smoked Salmon looks good though. More from the Ukrainian kitchen tomorrow.

Another Wet Day

Wow, got up so late today, 9:30 AM, still adjusting, I thought I was doing pretty good, but this morning proved it does take a few days to get used to time difference.

Tonight we are going to see an Italian Opera, "Tosca" about love, lust and deceit, you know a soap opera. My first opera.

Staying in today, need to paint my flowers I bought yesterday.

Domes of Kiev

In the Ukraine!

What a beautiful city this is! The architecture and the colors are glorious. The skies, today ominous. It was Sunday and after arriving around 2:30 in the afternoon we stopped at the apartment and left the baggage there and went on a drive around the city and got dropped off at an outdoor art show and market, it was about 1 mile long down a big hill and all of a sudden a downpour of rain, the sky opened up and welcomed us, everyone huddled around doorways and plastic sheets being thrown over booths, umbrellas poking people and then a river in the middle of the cobblestone streets carrying away some garbage along with broken pottery, souvenirs and other trinkets. Of course we forgot our umbrellas, we were soaked. The sun came back out and dried us up a bit. We stopped at a market and picked up some fruit and tea, juice, bread and cheese for snacks and breakfast for following day. When we got back to apartment, we both took a hot bath, now I have come to the conclusion we need a hot tub at Edgemere. No question about it. Slept like a baby.

Now we are at Cal's new offices (WorldApp) in Kiev. They just moved from one area to this new place, only been in the new place for a full day. They are still unpacking.

The apartment is in a nice older section of the city and it is quite basic, tub in one room, toilet in another, bedroom, kitchen, living. Windows have beautiful iron decorative bars and it is on a corner and on the first floor.

I love the farmland & patterns from above Paris, so cool!

The Adventure Continues

I will be traveling to Kyiv, Ukraine with Cal this time around for three weeks. He will, of course be working and I will explore the culture, and be inspired to bring the experience into my work, I will blog and hope you get a kick out of viewing photos and sketches.

Costa Rican Inspiration

Bank RI, Turk's Head Bldg,
Providence, Rhode Island

Watercolors by Lorraine Bromley
Reception & Music
May 21, 2009
5-8:30pm
In conjunction with Gallery Night-Providence

Costa Rica Paintings

Spring has Sprung!

Thoughts on this Easter Sunday

Happy Birthday to sis, Gayle.

Kodie (dog sitting) is being so good, no barking at me, just another lazy day for her.

Hudson Jai will be visiting me today, yippee. There is an easter basket waiting for him.

Shrimp Scampi for dinner.

Painting.

Friday trip to NYC.

Visiting Richard & Karen

Talk to Cal sometime today in Kiev.

Coffee with my boys early.

Wickford looks different with trees gone, but all the daffodils are beautiful.

The sun is out and warming everything up.

Flower Power

Have a creative day today.

The Attleboro Museum was wonderful place to be on a rainy day today with my friend Nina. The museum has a colorful show up right now called Flower Power, a throw back from the 6O's, Afros, peace signs, The Fifth Dimension, Cafe A Go-Go, really an interesting day at the museum. It is not a big museum, but I ended spending all afternoon there. Had lunch, viewed the extraordinary paintings and flower designs, and attended a lecture on "Healing Gardens" by Warren Leach. www.tranquil-lake.com

Watercolor On-Location

Hey wake up!
I have seen signs of spring, my daffodils and tulips are breaking through the ground already and my watercolor travel pack is ready for plein-air painting. If there is anyone interested in joining me in painting in the RI area on Mondays or Fridays, send me a quick email or call me. Love to have your company. Lets find some interesting scenes to paint.

Home Sweet Home

Home again...feels good. Three months is a long time. New habits formed, all good ones...wink, wink. Have not finished unpacking yet, and also trying to decide where to put things, where in this little house can I put up my easel and set up my pallette. I will be painting more plein-air this year, since I have had to give up my studio @ Shady Lea Mills. I have to remember that "Everything is temporary". Had Aja do my nails today, visited my friend Mary (85yrs old), picked up my car, a log for the wood stove, a tuna sandwich, life is good, watch a movie, cup of tea, and call it a day, I have got to slow down...hee hee

LORRAINE'S BLOG

LORRAINE'S BLOG

What do I ask of a painting?

I ask it to astonish, disturb, seduce, convince.

...Lucian Freud

Last Days

No running water again!!!!

Open Studios today was really great!! We started at Diane's casita, and she read from her book she is writing about "co-housing" and the functions, characters, and personalities that make up living in communal situations. Next was Hans, he is a very well-known poet in Germany, he read three poems, one he explained it in English then read it in German, and another one in german explaining that a poem is like music, even though we don't understand the words, we listen and interpret it a the most sensitive of ways. Then my favorite poem he wrote in his own language, a made up a language about love, just an amazing man and his wife Christine, who was with me last year at the colony as well, showed some new work inspired by the situations she encounters here in Costa Rica, for instance, she had a scary event of feeling dizzy and not being able to speak, she went to the hospital and after tests found nothing serious but being in the hospital was such a traumatic experience with many really sick people around her, she could not get the images out of her mind and so she painted the scenes of the hospital experience in oil pastels on large canvasses. Vivian showed her series of abstract work, shapes in shades of black, grays, whites with random spots of color. Then Lois showed her acrylic paintings, abstract, large, one of a older couple, close to each other, posing for a photo op in very simplified shapes, no detail, bold and brassy like her personality. Donna and John were next, John reading his articles he writes about issues in the USA and other andidtotes. Donna, an acrylic artist paints on a material like interfacing, beautiful landscapes of skies and creates poems that accompany them. Lucille showed her abstract photos. She actually draws on the negative with scratching, markers and the printed results are wonderful little whimsical works of art. Next was my turn, Dunia from the Nacional Galleria came for the first time to the "Open Studios" at the colony, she had gotten emails and a portfolio of work from me in the last few weeks and she did ask to see my work, and pending a review from her board next week, I will have an exhibit at the museum next January 2010. Yahoooo!!! Anyway, three months of work later I taped up my flowers/fauna and muses from Costa Rica. It was well recieved by all and I am very proud of my accomplishments here. Then we went to Irene and Charle's casita down the road and Charles showed his small colorful abstract drawings, ameba-like, galaxy-like, atmosheric-like. Irene also does much in ink markers and creates wonderful images of imaginary figures inspired from artifacts, tress, etc...with intricate patterns and colors. It is always a real treat to share and see artists' work in this setting of dedication & passion and to see the discipline it takes to making art sing to others. We inspire each.

This dress is made from recycled materials found on Playa Montezuma by artist, Carlos Arguilere. Plastic bottles, driftwood hanger, clothes basket, etc... He was collecting these materials when I found him camping on the beach in January. He also carved heads from styrofoam and did some abstract art from the junk that washes up on shore everyday.

Topas

This looks like a magazine cover, doesn't it?

The 1st horse parade (Topas) today in Cuidad Colon (a short walk to town) was spectacular. I have never seen so many horses. Prancing, and decorated with their proud owners riding them in their cowboy hats, boots, spurs, tight pants, beers and cigars. Horses of every color, spotted gray, shiny black, beached white, silver haired, braised tails and flowing manes, ribbons, adornments, beautiful statuesque and romantic. The colors in the traditional dance troupe was vibrant and you could not help but move in place to the musica.

Pura Vida

Lady of Lourdes, she tells of the vision and the
pilgrimages every February to her grotto.

The weeks are flying by. I leave for home in a week. I really loved showing Carol, Lorraine and Bill Costa Rica. We have had some adventures we will never forget.

Day tripping, bird watching, friendly taxi drivers, costa rican foods, art exhibits, the dogs of the colony, meeting artists from all over the world, coffee plantations, bananas, mandarins, pineapples, butterflies, heleconias, ginger, strangling fig trees, playa Montezuma, Orosi Valley, rain, boas, painting, drawing, hot springs, studio tours, San Jose, mountains, hills, waterfalls, earthquake 1-08-09, rides in the pick-up, horse parades, open market, cilantro, papayas, rivers, monkeys, green, focaccia, flat tires, lost, churches, Lourdes walk, stories of strength, mot-mots, drums, bread with cheese, hamburgers, avocados, bamboo, wind, sunsets, margaritas, days without running water, days with out electricity, days without the internet, jungle walks, spanish lessons, bird sounds, crocodiles, sarongs, black sandy beaches, volcanos, rainforests, movies online, rainbows, orchids, finding beauty in all things.Ladies who walked to Lourdes with a gentleman, Bill, who took the picture.