Going Mucho Bananas

There is a surplus of bananas on the property and tangerines, ate 4 t's and want a banana every time I walked by the tree where Carlos hung them, I think there are 5 different spots where there are the biggest bunch of bananas, hundreds, thousands, no not thousands....they are so good, and the tangerines are wonderful too, about 4 a day about sums it up. I feel the "banana series" come on again.

Well, Christmas day I am going to paint in the morning and then we have another pot-luck here in studio@3, we finally got the plan together with the artistas to eat together to celebrate. Missing Cal. Worrying about Dad in surgery and wondering how my Aja is doing too. Well just spent two hours online skyping my familia while that had their christmas eve party, it was so cool, I heard all their chattering, I of course got emotional, but it was so comforting to have them online with me all night and I talked to Cal to, this christmas eve is very hard to be here.

Eve of Eve

Sarah, taken at open market, she sells flowers with her Mom.
photograph by Lorraine Bromley

I am in a bit of a slump, I think I need some spirit, so I am going to watch "The Polar Express", and listen to some caroles. mmm that ought to do it. I talked to my Dad, for tomorrow is his pacemaker implant. He has nine lives.

Colony here is having pot luck for tomorrow night xmas eve. And I will make of course, guess what? yes...focaccia and chicken. I have been puttering today, can't get focused on one thing. Trying and experimenting with collage and doing research on pacemakers and kidney stones. Weird day for me. Got to call Aja too. I also talked to Cal a couple times today, he need some rest.

Frank had some wonderful photographs printed up for a show he is having at some hotel in January, the photos are beautiful of Guatemalan children in their traditional dress, colorful, sweet, and capturing the innocence of their personalities, their feet crossed on top of each other and the playfulness of shyness.

Had my Spanish lesson today with Bernarda, she says I have progressed, but I feel like I struggling more than last year, been reading my vocabulary and understand better than I can speak this language. Bernarda took me to town on her way home so I could get some groceries and I started walking back and Franks wife picked me up, saved me from walking up that bitch of a hill. yahoooo, a ride!

Patricia didn't feel well tonight, I checked on her, she is ok.
70 degrees tonight. Those little buggers of ants are still torturing me, the Clorox helps for a limited time, smells like a hospital until I get the eucalyptus incense burning.

Oh! El Arbole de Navidad

Heliconia & Sunshine

Heliconia 4 x 9 watercolor by Lorraine Bromley

This flower looks upside down, but it isn't, the flowers hang down, I started a larger horizontal piece of these flowers as well today. Very exotic, huh?

Yesterday went back down to Saturday open market to stroll with K, so many different kinds of fruits I have never seen before, we both had a coconut drink from the "Pipa" man. I went with Carlos to art depot to see what they have for supplies and did get a couple things, but they do not have the supplies I like to use, the watercolors I need will have to come from the states and then we went on a mission to find some lights for my christmas tree... to no avail. Went to 3 places, and could not find one. In the evening Katherine, Patricia and I went to Bonanza Restaurant last night, watched the sunset and really enjoyed our night out, had a steak and mashed potatoes, (my comfort food), I am still eating chicken at my studio (3 weeks now), I made too much chicken soup.

I am having a hard time staying at computer to finish up my graphic projects, the weather has been so wonderful to paint outside.

Anaranjado Flor

Orange Blossom
Found this small tree that an incredible fragrance was coming from. Just the sweetest smell, I had to take a couple branches inside. The whole house is smelling so sweet.

Carlos ( grounds keeper) finally got me a christmas tree tonight, a long tall top of bamboo, it is perfect and beautifully shaped, so now the trimmings will be fun to find, pods and whatever to else will hang on it, my earrings, my necklace, I will buy some ribbon tomorrow and try to find some lights too. I experimented with some more monotypes today using a rolling pin, watercolors and then colored pencils, I have been doodling on the prints and they look very "organic", I would say. I found a t shirt with that word on the front of it to bring here and now, it is my word for the week.

Fresh chicken tamale for lunch tomorrow, busy Saturday planned. Today was pretty busy I have been working on the computer with some graphic projects, in between power outages, designing post cards and a menu, and concerned about my baby, Aja and her pain, she did say she received the childrens book in mail that I ordered for Hudson Jai's 4th birthday. She loved it and it made her laugh, it is a book with Hudson face in place of one of the characters and his name is mentioned through out the book, his birth date and his hometown, Very cute!

Fig Tree

This is a "Strangler Fig Tree" It's seed comes from the canopy and the roots grow downward, eventually strangling another tree and then that tree dies inside the fig tree with its entertwining branches and vines and becomes hollow, so cool, so I started painting one here on the property and this is a detail of it, the finished size will be 11 x 22 like the rest of the series I am working on here in Costa Rica, the shiny leaves on the detail is a masking fluid, it rubs off leaving white areas to paint in later. An amazing tree. Well, I now have a phone, in my room, there are some beautiful bougainvilia around the pool today in big pots, white lilies in the sunroom, pointsettia on the table and a wreath of gold garland on the bar...sharpened all of my colored pencils tonight, yea exciting night, decided to watch "Lost" tv show on the computer, it was terrible, changed over to "Sex in the City", that was better & found a cool website I can catch upon all tv shows.

My heart goes out to Aja tonight, she is dealing with alot of pain this week, and struggling with lots of "stuff", I wish I was there, and not here today, wish I could wisk away from all of it. Give her strength!

Air in Air
11 x 22
watercolor, gouache and pastel
by Lorraine Bromley

Lunes en Rio de Colon

Monday by the river in Colon....spent all day at the river painting, a horse farm across the river...big blue and small yellow birds were singing and taking baths in the water, I took this long opportunity again to paint with Patricia and to study reflections, the camera helped stop the motion in order to see patterns of ripples etc.... Rico, our favorite taxi driver took us down to river at 8:30am and he picked us up at 2:00pm. He is always so prompt and reliable. No habla ingles though. Great day!

Today is Hudson Jai's fourth birthday, feliz anos. Yo extranar! I miss him.

Domingo

Out painting the air plants on the grapefruit tree. It also has some wild cacti growing and intertwining itself throughout it. Quite interesting, scary actually, but I am trying to get friendly with it. Caught up with the news online, had my coffee and ready to accomplish something today. Later, Patricia, Katherine, and I are going to the Essentia Restaurant for early dinner and scope out another location to paint. It is an eklectic place and Jorge, the owner loves having us there painting on his grounds. (an artist himself) He allowed us last year and even asked us to leave our marks on the walls of the restaurant. The mandala I painted on wall is #24 on this group of photos.
http://www.cortezaamarillalodge.com/gallery.php try to find it, click on this website. Hasta Luego

Pajaro de amarilla

Fin de semana

Sway
11 x 30 watercolor by Lorraine Bromley

Friday, the end of my first week. These little ants are driving me crazy, no-see-ums. I have been spraying the counters with windex, constantly. I am going to try bleach tomorrow. Open Market and then my mission to find bleach or chlorox in Cuidad Colon.

Started another painting today of a vine with curly tentrils. This one again is green, I am going to find some other color to put in it tomorrow. I am making some progress, with my work. Four 11x 30 almost finished.

Went shopping with Francisco late today, looking for a new pool lounge chair that he was supposed to have bought last year with my donation. He chatted in his "span-glish" I call it, a language all its own, but I can understand it. We looked around and priced them, and I assume he will pick up one we decided on this weekend sometime. Came back to colony and still no water to wash, flush or cook with, I don't know what the problemo was, but about 7 pm I got use of water again. Need to read my book and sleep.

Dinner tonight, chicken again for the fourth night this week, avocado and focaccia. Those nasty little buggers got at the rest of focaccia tonight, had to throw it out. buenas noches

Mi dedo del pie la anillo!

My new toe ring!

Fiesta

Paaartay...potluck @ my studio tonight 6:00pm, be there, don't be square. Salads, fruita mesa, layered guacamole dip, focaccia, ratatoiulle, wine and a birthday cake for Avery (he turned 70?)

The artists @ colony, Kirsten, Vivian, Katherine, Shelley, Roxy, Patricia and me. Between the artists and the residents in colony, (Bernarda & Isabella in picture) fourteen people, including Adela, and Isabella, delightful little girls living with their parents here and of course Forrest, the big old lab and two gigantic toads. The biggest toads I have ever seen, size of two hands put together, They hopped up to the door by the pool and the girls screamed. It was someone's prince I am sure of it! My, oh my, it is very windy tonight, hope I don't lose electricity again, better get this uploaded.

Email from Susan today, an artist I met a couple years ago here is coming down to CR soon. Will be great to spend creative time with her again.

Started another painting again today outside with Patricia, was able to help her out again on computer questions too. So nice to paint with her, she is working on a large piece approx 70 x 40 watercolor outside. I can only handle a 22 x 30. I will have to gradually work my way to that size. Yikes! I only started another 11 x 30 piece, the light coming through these huge leaves captured my eyes today, Most likely bugs have eaten the leaves or a fungus, but they were glistening in the light like glitter and then the bamboo swaying in the background, catching light too, I thought it was striking and deserved to be painted. Another one not quite done yet.

Cal, hope you are feeling better tonight! Love you!

Tropical

"Banano Ornamental "
watercolor 11 x 30 by Lorraine Bromley

Great day painting outside all day. Took care of some computer work this morning and then took the rest of day to work on this recent painting, I do not think it is done yet, but pretty close to it. This is an ornamental banana plant, it is so dramatic, I used the color "opera" to achieve the dynamic banana shapes and some concentrated hycinth blue for the big bud. There are about six of these in bloom right now and more are blooming.

I have five butterflies in my studio today. They just want to live with me, I put them out then five more come in. I listened to some unusual bird calls but could not capture any with my camera. Late yesterday hummingbirds were around these flowers that I was paintings. They were just to fast to study.

Bernarda found in extra blender for me, made me very happy today so I can make frozen slushes for lunches. Avocados are awesome! Salads suberb. Found some wild cilantro on property for focaccia, having a pot luck dinner here at my studio tomorrow night. It is the biggest studio next to pool, so it will be a nice place to celebrate the December crew here at the colony. I am glad I brought my garlic press!!!!.

Talked to Cal, he has the cold I had last week. Poor thing! I can sympathize. I am wishing him comfort in his struggles this week. Love you!

Pura Vida!

Pura Vida...Costa Rican, "Tico" expression encompassing

well-being, positivity, and harmony

This is my studio this year...each area is on a different level, studio being two steps above dining area and kitchen a step done from dining area, bedrooms on either side of dining with separate bathrooms. Hey...can't believe it is Sunday already.Feeling pretty good today, painted all day outside with Patricia Forrester, we painted an unusual banana-like plant with wonderful colors of yellow, purples and pinks. Perfect for painting in watercolor. We lost electricity this morning for about 7 hours, no coffee, no toast. My gas stove was not working either. We all survived it, of course no problem, you just feel so incomm-unicado. It happens very often here in CR. Kirsten & Jorge, artists next door made me coffee this morning on their stove, had it outside by the pool.

I also gave Patricia a "skype lesson" on the computer, then after I skyped some friends and now just catching up on this blog, I think I will call it a day, I have to slow down. ;')

Nancy was kind enough to fix my necklace today, clasp broke, she lives here in CR on property and designs jewelry. It's perfecta! Muchos gracias!.

I have butterflys & dragonflys this year in my studio instead of geckos. Everyday another butterfly, how do they get in? Listening to NPR Radio in Boston on computer, it says it is 16 degrees, yikes, it is 72 here, no TV, just music, birds, and NPR.

Open Market Day

Took my morning walk to the open market, it is sunny, warm and feeling very lucky to be here. I noticed I bought "cultured milk" yesterday by mistake, it does not go well in coffee, so now I have a full pot of coffee I just can not drink without milk. I walked to town with Katherine, we made a deal, I would give her some olive oil and she would give me some milk. Well, I am getting better. Carlos just gave me a couple shots of what tasted like Anise, for my cough of course. I feel better already! Whewww. He told me that the cultured milk is very good to drink alone and good for your stomach, so I kept some and gave the rest to him, it was again an even deal.

I have decided that my first painting will be of this wonderful papaya tree right outside the door. I have two large papayas ripening on my counter right now, but I did buy a ripe one at the market, I was longing for the taste of one this morning. So on my to paint, after finishing up my "judges statement", (I feel so important today) for awards for EG Art Club Members Show. Now I can move on to what I love to do, paint.

Colony Revisited

I made it! Still trying to get rid of an annoying cough...settling though into this beautiful country. Little cloudy today, but so am I. The casita is very spacious and Carlos and Bernarda are collecting things I need here to make it comfortable for the next few months. An extra table, chairs and kitchen stuff. Carlos took me to do some grocery shopping. Bernarda took us to a new bakery in town, I bought a sweet bread, that weighs a ton. I will wait til tomorrow to taste it, I have no taste buds today from coughing. This afternoon I had a nice little coffee talk with others that are here now in colony, Patricia, Kirsten, Roxy, Katherine, Bernarda, more are arriving this weekend. I understand that a group from RISD will be here in January. How do you like that...go figure. So I have been puttering around today, not feeling up to par yet. But am getting excited about painting this weekend. Changing the furniture around to my liking today and will have to decorate a little too. Roxy will be giving us yoga classes soon, the open market in the morning will be a ritual on Saturdays.

Count Down

So, a couple more days and I will be set-up in CR for a long winter. Ready to paint, draw, create, explore, discover new patterns, immerse in the CR culture, and absorb the warmth. My checklist today is
Judge the EG Members Show
Put together bills
Laundry
Clean Window boxes for winter
Call NHP
Take care of ticket for car insurance
Take Hudson to speech therapy

Ready

I am feeling anxious about going to Costa Rica this year, leaving the new house and Cal, leaving Aja & little Hudson during a difficult time, away from friends and the holidays, packing everything I think I need, worrying about M&D in FL. mmmm Another week I will be in Cuidad Colon, Costa Rica. Hudson will be four Dec15th, gee where did the time go. I quess I am feeling a bit quilty about going, leaving RI, escaping from daily tasks and responsibilities. What am I doing? That warm weather mmmm will make the arthritis feel better though and maybe this cough will go away. to be continued

Bamboo and Wind
watercolor
31 x 39

The Art League of Rhode Island Members Show
Bristol Art Museum
October 24th-November 16th, 2008