The Allure 

(inspiration for recent paintings)

photograph by LBB

The brugmansia's slender, fluted bells proffer
their deadly champagne, their alluring, toxic flowers
dangling as if they'd been gassed, angel's trumpet 

they're called -as deadly as the single carbon
bound to oxygen you inhale, motor running.

(excerpt from poem, Cloud Forest by Lise Goett)

I forgot how to paint...trouble in paradise!

And I don't like the this blog... I can not get it to look right, bear with me I need to re-design this thing. They changed my original template, I am working on it.

Pedro & Bella Dona

It rained today, off and on, and I have this stupid cough. I slept really late this morning, felt so groggy rest of day. but, in- between raindrops I went for a short walk, to see what kind of "stuff" I could find like sticks, stones, flowers, ya know ....stuff......Carlos was just finishing up a chore with a refrigerator in one of the studios, so I practiced Spanish with him....anyway, walking along with him, he leans down and pokes a stick in a hole and calling "Pedro, Pedro".........I'm going.....huh? There is crab living in a hole by the steps, in water from a drainage pipe, the crab kept reaching out for him and the stick...couldn't believe it! No kidding. Pedro, the land crab.

Christmas Festival of Lights was Saturday night in San Jose, it was awesome, lots of pagentry and fireworks, I love fireworks...train ride this Wednesday up north on a day trip...working on a large painting of a flowering tree. I will show progress....time for bed...I have got to slow down....lol...it's just because I don't feel good and it's raining and I want to curl up and read...poor me.

Drawing, planning composition, color choices

Some color harmony, yellow green, salmon and determining shapes.

Festival of Lights brings over a million people into San Jose

Can you believe it? 1 million ...OMG

Beginning at around 3 in the afternoon on yesterday, flocks of family and friends crowded into the streets of San Jose for the city’s annual Festival de La Luz, or Festival of Lights! Every year the event brings over a million people out to share in the Christmas festivities and celebrations. The tradition has continued here in Costa Rica for more than a decade. Ticos celebrate the tradition to remind their children and future generations of the importance of the holiday spirit, the significance of family and friends, and to pass on the traditions of the past. The lights of the festival represent the beginning of the holiday season and hope for the New Year to come. The event ended at around 11:00 pm and fireworks marked the beginning of the Christmas season event! It is one of the most important holiday events in Costa Rica...This was my first time...Susan, Jane, Carl, Wayne, Bernarda and her family came, we ate, we walked, we rang in the Christmas season...and we had an adventure we won't forget...floats, marching bands, lights, fireworks, acrobats, clowns, pagentry, puppets, colors...I know I lost a few calories with all the walking we did too from one end of city to the other....yahoooooo..I didn't bring my camera, I was afraid someone would grab it.