Playa Carillo

Back from the beach. It was an adventure, ocean was great for body surfing, shallow water for much of the beach and great tumbling waves we rode all the way in. Beautiful! When we arrived to Carillo, Cal was very sick, on the verge of pneumonia, called a doctor and he gave him a shot and prescribed some antibiotics and congestion medicine and he was feeling better on Tuesday, so we spent the day on the beach, drew pictures in the sand, went for a delightful lunch with Bernarda, her Mom, Dilia and her daughter Isabella, we had a great time with Isabella, she is 5 yrs old. Bernarda took us to another beach, Playa Islita, little artisan village in the middle of nowhere, through rivers and jungle and then had just enough time to walk up through a jungle path to see the sunset over Playa Carillo, along the way we saw howling monkeys up in the trees and when we reached the top, it was 360 of the most beautiful scenery. We then had a wonderful dinner at the place we stayed at, the Colibri. It was an Argentinean restaurant connected to the cabinas. The six of us had a great time, Susan, Bernarda, Isabella, Dilia, Cal & I. Then on Wednesday we headed back to the colony. Then I got sick again. But feeling better today, Friday, and looking forward to the last week here in Cuidad Colon.

Adventure Continues

I have been showing Cal around Cuidad Colon (he is feeling much better today) and we went to my favorite restaurant "Essentia" tonight. This is the restaurant I painted a design on the wall back in Dec. He loved it, it has a special ecklectic ambience that is magical at night with fancy chandeliers that have been enhanced with ornamaents and cozy corners with curtains and white lights among jungle-like fauna and the sounds of the aviary in close distance. Really nice delicious dinner.
So, Monday we are off to Nicoya Pennisular to the beach where will meet Susan and then Bernarda on Wednesday for the ride back to the colony, so we will be out of touch for a few days. Will get back to blog on Thursday.

Anticipation

The anticipation of Cal's arrival was killing me. Cleaned up things around the studio, to make room for him, nice of me huh? Went to town to buy him some juice, cause I plan on pumping into him when he gets here, and some vanilla ice cream, ice cream always makes you feel better. Only vanilla. Came back from town and we had booked a model for figure drawing session for an hour. That was a great exercise for me, I love the female figure and Cecelia has a wonderful big body, and beautiful Costa Ricence face. She was a fantastic model for us.

Nancy, collage artist showed me her works that she is showing next month at the National Gallery here next month. One piece has handmade paper beads hanging on it. She said she didn't have time to make enough beads that would have finished it off nicely, so I said lets all get together one night over a glass of wine and make some so you can finish your piece. So last night we set-up to make paper beads and made more than what she needs. She was tickled that we all made them for her and we felt good to help her out. Cool beads!

Carlos and Christine drove early to Limon on the Caribbe, a 7 hour drive to the coast to look at some land Carlos would like to preserve. He has some big plans to try to keep it from being sold to big hotel/condo type developers, it is a problem right now in CR, more and more of the jungle is being destroyed for hotels etc..., it is not so good

I looked up Cal's flight ticket and found out the flight was an hour late, and I am glad I put up a sign at gate to what number to call so I could let him. Good thing I didn't wait down at the gate. So the taxi came about 11:00pm and he made it. A little under the weather, but not for long, because he will be soaking in pura vida here today.

Ayudo, eschucho, estudio, pintoro y viajo...

I help, I listen, I study, I paint and I travel,....I swim, I cook, I speak, I look. These are my words for spanish homework this week..verbs.

Another adventure up in the forest behind the colony, I had never been on such an extensive walk up there, just on the driveway up there, but today Carlos took Christina and I up there, Talia joined us, colony dog, the cutest cocker spaniel in Costa Rica who eats geckos. Yes... we followed a way up to the very top of the mountain where there is some condos being built, but when we reached the top it was spectacular, the wind was blowing. I was trying to take pictures and felt I was going to be blown off the mountain, so I sat down and took mucho pictures 360 degrees. And then I turned my head and a field of calendular in front of me, orange flowers, just a dream of a picturesque landscape. Unbelievable, really, so much to discover here just around the corner. It is always changing, walking up there is a different scene everyday, flowers, bananas, trees, & the butterflies up there, I saw a gigantic black butterfly today, it must have been as big as my head. My white pants got covered with little sticky seeds and thorns I needed to use a brush to get all the briars off. We will see if they will ever be clean again. I got spooked by an iguana up there too and the walk to town later on, we found a pequeno dead flattened lizard on the road, and Christina had the taxi stop so she could take it back to studio on the way home when we had too many bags of groceries to walk back with. I don't know what she is going to do with it, but I will give a full report when I find out.

Susan left for the pacific beach this morning by herself, we miss her already, she gave me some potion before she left that she bought for me, for my arthritis in my hands, you rub it on actual affected areas. She bought it from the "soap lady" at the open market, who also makes soap, go figure. Down here there are all kinds of remedies for things, all natural of course, and Christina is just as knowledgeble in this area of homepathic substances. This morning she was asking Carlos how to get Bushmaster, snake venom. I will get a full report on that too. TTYL

I am awake, energized and alive!

Christine, Susan & I had a figure drawing class this morning. Christine teaches figure drawing in Germany and it was a great experience, she challenged us, tomorrow a class with another model. Honing my drawing skills with the eye to hand. Experimenting with color and lines.

We had eculyptus in all our apartments today to help with all the throat problems that Susan & I are having, hers from a cold, mine from screaming the other day at the top of my lungs. Carlos came with branches of it to put in our studios. Anyway its coming back, the voice is coming back.
I am working on 13 -11 x 30 paintings, skipping around on all of them, almost finished with three. Whats the hurry, I am so happy with all but one of them, but I think I can make it better, the solution just has not come to me yet. I am working on titles for them, of course in espanol. Thinking about exhibiting in the National Museum here in San Jose next year and getting encouraged to do so. The logistics are frightening right now, but doable. Need about 10 more pieces to make a good representation of "PURA VIDA".

Have made arrangements with Bernarda about Cal's & my little side trip to the pacific today. Mon -Wed to the Playa Carillo, Nicoya Pennisular, about a 4-5 hour ride through some wonderful countryside to get to the most beautiful beaches on the Pacific

Stay on Course

Hudson Jai & Aja Jai 2007

Spanish class ... painting ...Multi-plaza...geckos...Cal coming to Costa Rica on Friday...Lunch with Alice & Barry...Susan's song, banana bread and tea, yellow flower, taxi, Nicoya property, sushi, Opal Dreams... Aja & new apartment...new pictures of Hudson Jai...painting, cleaning...beautiful necklace...picked flowers... focaccia...tree with colored bark, painting, painting, painting. making plans for a little trip to beach with Cal.

San Jose Attempt

It's, Sunday, on another beautiful sunny day, Christine, Bonnie & I decide to go to San Jose's Contemporary Art Museum by bus. Wonderful! Inspiring! As planned Bonnie & I leave Christine at museum and go to take pictures of architecture of the old city where many old homes have been converted into hotels and B&B's. We stopped and got a map at a rent-car store front and proceeded to our destination, taking another bus part of the way, so we could walk and shoot. Two young men ran up behind us and robbed our cameras at the same time, right our of hands and ran down the street. I screamed and chased them, Bonnie ran around the block to see if she could see where they went, but I screamed all the way down the street, yelling, swearing my head off, waking up everything sleeping in my path. Maybe I over-reacted....but the events of those next few hours was like watching a movie. I think I counted 20 cops at one point, 7 taxis and the whole neighborhood of probably 3 blocks emerged in one spot, where one of the taxi drivers saw the 2 men go into a doorway. The doorway was rather a make-shift doorway. Some wood boards, some metal, etc... but the police barged in and after a couple hours came out with a suspect I identified as the robber. They actually found my camera, but not Bonnies'. We did what the police told us to do and answered questions as they came up in our spanglish. The police were great, they did everything they could. It was traumatic, many taxi cab drivers were very kind and people in general there with us were comforting, we went to the station to retrieve camera and was given 2 choices, either stay longer in country and go to court and testify and press charges or take my camera and let him go. Opted for the later. . . and thanking God we were not hurt...I think I can live with laryngitis for a few days....and The Adventure Continues.

Tradition

January Artists 2008
(L) Christine, Sean, Donna, John, Holly, Nancy, (R) Irene, Charles, Bonnie, Francisco, me, Susan

Started a new tradition at the colony, taking a group picture. We are all painting each other or have a book, that represent our art. I think they all thought it was going to be stupid looking, but it came out really great. I love it, except for my cleavage. Francisco has hire me to take more pictures for the colony's website. So, today, depending on weather of course, I will spend a few hours taking some property shots. I feel privileged. Fransisco & I will go and get a nice print of the group next week. He wants one with out him in it, but I like the one with him for this blog.

Carlos, Fransisco's brother, not in picture took us on a mystery ride today too, and the views were spectacular, I think we drove about 3 hours, thinking we were going swimming at a waterfall, and 3 hours later reached to pacific coast, (I think he forgot to turn off somewhere.) The beach was vocanic, black sand and it was more of a cargo port, but still alot of beach goers, and not the prettiest beach I ever saw. But it was hot! Sometimes its just the journey and not the destination I realize. The trip to the pacific was an adventure in the back of a pick-up truck, the whole way, I took some great photos of the landscape. This coteza amarilla tree was one of the highlights of our cross country journey. On the way back we spend most of the ride laying down because passing police cars we were lucky not to get stopped, being illegal to carry passengers in back of the truck, so we made believe we were melons. lol

Mission Achiote

Ok, yesterday Carlos, Christine & I went for a jungle walk. I mean the jungle. He took his machetti, which is like carrying a jacknife to Costa Ricenses. We had to mark the trail as we plowed through brush and leaves. It was a thrill! I can't even beleive I did it. If I had understood his broken english about where were going I don't think I would've gone. But I was stuck ( didn't want to be a whimp) and so glad I went and trudged behind Carlos through this jungle. He told me we were going to find the "Achiote" tree, he knew the area it was in, but we had to climb down steep paths and up again with really not much of a pathe because everything grows so fast here. We climbed over gigantic ant hills, saw the biggest "elephant tree", crossed the river in our shoes and found the achiote and it was lit up by a stream of sunshine, I felt we had found the hold grail). The tree has these red fruits on it that CR indigenous people use for face painting in their rituals and it is used as a natural "red-orange" food coloring also. Also known as the "Lipstick Tree". It looks like a fruit, but it is a flower that turns into a pod with red seeds inside when crushed turn into red paste. I am using it as watercolor in some of my now recent paintings while I am here. We also saw the property owners beating beans. They gather dried tumbleweeds with the beans attached and then two men beat the dried brush with two bamboo sticks in each hand until the dried beans fall to a collection at bottom, little red beans. What a day, my muscles in legs are killing me today. It was quite a hike and I got some great pictures.

Quintessential Costa Rica

Daily life is quiet now in the colony, subdued and peaceful, this tico culture doesn't hit you like a ton of bricks, I know I have not written in the blog, I just felt I had nothing to say and so much to say. I am trying to figure out how to make uploading pictures easier to the blog too. I think I found it but have to try a few things first.
My spanish class was really interesting today. We had 3 in class and conversation was flying in spanish, not from me though, but I do find it mush easier to understand it, than speak it. Its hard to start off a conversation, I get stuck.
Last night we went to an opening reception for a few artists exhibit at the National Galleria, it was wonderful, Charles, Irene, Donna, and Lynn. Great space, it used to be a prison 100 years ago, and then to be knocked down, now a National Galleria. kind of eeiry, vault-like. You can see where all the cells were with wrought iron gates, stone, castle sitting amidst a run-down section of San Jose.

Above is another wonderful, inspiring artist's business card, Christine.

A Room with a View

Its been kind of quiet here, except for the wind. I went for a walk to Colon today, by myself, I usually tag along with someone that knows spanish, but I was feeling like I needed a walk and I did not want to bother anyone. Went to town, brought back some DVD's due and did a little grocery shopping, Took some pictures of course. Hablo muy pegueno espanol. Climbed that ?//$%#$ steep hill back to colony. Been talking to Cal everyday. I miss him. Wishing he was here to enjoy this time with me.

Praying Mantis Visit

The other night a praying mantis was climbing on the outside of my door. I swished it off as I opened it and it dissappeared. Then Holly came to me in the morning and said, if I wanted to take a picture of it, it was on the porch below me, so I did, they didn't come out very good, then that day it came back to me, stayed with me all day & night on my window inside my studio. So I thought maybe its a symbol and I found this meaning, "Follow Mantis" means putting that core aspect of yourself, your foundation of Spirit, at the helm and let it direct your intellect and ultimately your life. Something to ponder today, this morning it is not on my window anymore, it is somewhere in the studio. I hope it doesn't eat me up!

We had a Friday night dinner instead of Wednesday night and Francisco introduced us to the new director Bernarda, my spanish teacher. She is a great choice and so glad she accepted the position, she is Costa Rican, knows what to see here and how to get the arrangements made, a Spanish teacher, kind and pays attention to detail

Art Journal

Aprendo..I learn

Spanish class today on the verbs..so I am learning mucho about Costa Rica, its language and it's culture and nature. I am getting an itch to travel to the Carribbean side of CR though. Not sure how I am going to do it yet, I have been surfing the internet for just the right comfort zone, whether to just take a bus to Limon or take a tour from San Jose. Something will bring an opportunity. I am going to finish up some paintings today I think. I have 9 paintings in the works. I sold one on the 1st of January, how nice to start the new year off this way. Barry & Alice are the proud owners of Las Montanas de la Mariposa..Butterfly Mountains. I am tickled they have a connection to it. It is pictured in a past blog from last week. below.

So, I am going to take it easy today and tomorrow, cause I still don't feel 100%. oing to stick around and just paint.

Life and the Universe

The first day of 2008, a day of reflection.

Butterfly wings, green hills upon green hills, the fog and clouds, fields of purple flowers, rushing waterfalls, chanting, feeding my soul, unity, companions, patterns, practicing love for family & friends, awareness of responsibility, the wind, colors, direction, exploration, meditation in motion, gratitude, peace, cleansing of the body after being so sick, a refreshing swim in the pool, the warmth of the sunshine, insects, orchids, geckos, bananas, papaya, tangerines, pineapples, limes, limes and more limes ....and hopscotch?

I noticed a big blue inkspot on my favorite gray tank top, don't know how it got there. Susan made it into a piece of art for me, "Hopscotch in the Rain".

La Pas Waterfalls and Gardens

How appropriate that we should visit "The Waterfalls and Gardens of Peace" on the eve of 2008. That is all everyone wishes for so often, is peace within and tranquility. How do we add tranquility to our lives? You can get back to me on this, I would love to hear my friends responses to this, finding some insight on why you're here, what it's all about anyway, I wonder and am in awe at what some can endure -- and are these reflections inner peace? And I heard somebody say " Your life need not be solitary, poor, nasty or brutish. It will be short -- so why not seek as much peace and tranquility as possible? Is it relative to being happy? Content? What would make you happier than you already are? More money? Greater power? How much more power -- would you want to be the "supreme ruler of the universe" or would a few subordinates to boss around do the trick? In a way, it's like fitness -- if it were effortless to achieve, everyone would look and feel great. I am getting so philosophical in my old age, or is it this "Pura Vida?

Girls Night

A Dinner for Patricia
Garbanzo beans, foccacia, salmon, salad, brocolli, some other stuff i can not remember....Well, all her left overs came to my studio too, (stuff, I never heard of like vanilla flour, guanbana pulp?) and so we all ate a pot luck meal, sharing, stories of men, art and wars. No not really, not in that order anyway. Patricia leaving at 4:00 am for airport. Wondering if she will wake up in time with a broken alarm clock and a flashlight she's lost. Delightful to have met such a practical, sincere, talented, independent, wise woman and fellow watercolorist. I am a Patricia wanna-be.
I maybe sensed we all are PTF wanna-bees in one way or another. Ishil, Fabria, Susan, and I.

Inspiration & Energy

Open Studio Tour was a success!

We started at Patricia's casita, and we indulged in libations, salmon hor d'ouevres, and pineapple, she is a very accomplished watercolorist, in galleries around the country and works very large and only on-location and up close. She worked on a wonderful tree with intertwining branches and orchids, stunning, approx. 70" x 30". We have talked about getting together sometime in Washington, DC. She leaves here on Monday. Another painting shown on right, watercolor by Patrica Tobacco Forrester.

Ishil graced us with her poetry, memoirs of a love, that brought tears to my eyes and when she played the guitar and sang about a poor family in Africa it blew me away. She will be in the colony another couple weeks.

Fariba shared her art of tiles with photos of family taken back in the 60's collaged with her own photos and then transferred onto tiles. Beautifully designed and executed into exquisite decorative pieces which will be installed repeatedly with unexpecting patterns.

Hilary & Christian's music inspired collaboration, she using her tiny, whimsical shapes to create these wonderful images of 2-D circuit-board-like art (dozens) while listening to Christian's "techno-meets-mantra" music that he has invented with joysticks and computer sounds. This was so fascinating to see a couple work so close together and be inspired by each. Now that is a relationship that works. Check out her website listed on the right sidebar.

We came to my studio and all my unfinished work hanging and I explained my transition and exploration this year with these landscapes. I also had a slideshow of photographs going on the computer with music. It was impressive. lol Really impressive lol.

At my studio, Alice did a reading of her book she is writing about "Art and Learning Disabilities". Her partner Barry gave us an enlightening view of his book he is writing on gravity, which I am still having a difficult time grasping. They will be here till the 3rd, then they will be off to Nicoya Pennisular, which is supposed to be just beautiful like all of the rest of Costa Rica.

Susan decided to have the tour end at her little place, she made the best banana bread in Cuidad Colon and played her songs for us, she has an angelic voice and I love listening to her sing. She is also working on some colorful drawings/paintings of fairies for a children's book. Ishil did a harmony on Susan's song and together they made beautiful music.

The Artist 's Way

Of course what matters when you look at my work happens immediately within your own perceptual framework and your response will be instantaneous and probably needs no verbal accompaniment. However perhaps you might like to know how I am approaching my work whilst here in residency at the colony? I am entranced by the beauty of nature here in Costa Rica. It has changed the way I now look at landscapes, I find myself weaving one image into another. For example: the wings of butterflies become the texture of the landscape. I am allowing myself the freedom to de-construct and then re-construct what interests me and use the inspiration in unusual abstract ways. I am really enjoying this process totally...it allows my creative strengths in photography, design, and watercolor techniques, to dictate new progressive concepts into paintings of "harmony".