Update

Amarillo

watercolor 10x7

Playa Panama in Guanacaste on the pacific, parrots, Palo Verde, jungle cruise, blue herons, crocadiles, feeding the capuchin monkeys, sunshine, Cesa, tipico lunch, cas, frijoiles, pool, vistas, islands, green hills, heleconias, Lankester gardens, orchids, rain, waterfalls, wind, red macaws, cafe con leche, iguanas, one creepy snake, hilltops, painting, photographing, cooking, sculpting, sharing, palm trees, the most unusual flora, drawing patterns...oropendulars, University of Peace, Cal, Carol, Nina, .....bananas & yellow flowers...

And Life Itself is on the Wing

"And Life Itself is on the Wing"

(work in progress)

7 x 11 watercolor, white ink, and gold leaf 

This is the beginning of a series of paintings I have started themed "Nesting". It came from thoughts of comforting places, encompassing the need for peace, and then letting go to imagination. I was drawing with some sticks & stones in my sketchbook, practicing some writing excersises with the actual word as well, then went for a walk and found this little nest on the ground, and this is what came out of that afternoon, I feel it is still a work in progress. Other paintings in this series have been started too. It a slow moving series of paintings, but I am throughly enjoying this process of finding a subject that found me and then developing it into more un-traditonal ways using my watercolor and mixed media techniques. Sticks, nests, natural elements, colors, poetry have new meaning when I combine them.

Este es el Caballo

by Cathal Brown

6" x 10" wire sculpture

Is this cool or what, Cal is preparing his materials for a metal sculpture in the residency here in Cuidad Colon, Costa Rica 2010. Tools, metal and other natural materials are being collected as we speak. So inspiring!

Christmas Horse Parade

Bernarda & Isabella took us to the fabulous horse parade in San Jose, it was truly amazing, 5000 horses, 5000 drunk cowboys (some of them, ok most of them). Every kind of horse imaginable.

Buenas Dias

The weather has finally changed, the winds have died down and the sun is shining warmer. On my way out the door to paint with Patricia. We went for a short walk late yesterday afternoon and found the most beautiful flowers to paint today. So exciting...green, red and purple..will post later.

Cal finding that sculpting wire and metal into horse is his new calling, will post that too later.

Lunch today with Bernarda & Isabella at the hotel she works at up on the hill (oh the hill...steep walk)...lots of activity here in colony..getting ready for newcomers this weekend. Carol coming on Sunday, Nina on Tuesday..yippeee!

Lots of painting, lots of studying, lots of sunshine...taking it all in...sketching, swimming. Cal just took off on his own little adventure alone...we will see if he ever comes back here to the colony, will let you know. I am supposed to meet him later in a coffee shop in town...at 2:00pm...


        
        my christmas tree 

    upside down branch from 

    coconut tree..ornaments..

         my mom made

Muse

This is a Laughing Falcon, perched on a branch along the path here in colony, what a racket he made yesterday, had to find out what it was and this is what I found, amazing bird (el parajo).

Today I realize that the creative process is not so simple that it can be reduced to a formula - go here, wait for muse, shoot, paint, draw. It is not a reactive process dependant on a magic fairy appearing and beating you with an inspiration-stick. Creativity is something you actively work at, and the more closely you know your own process, the more reliably the muse appears. Having said that, I think we all know that some days just do not go the way we want, and sometimes that's chalked-up to being uninspired, or bored, or lazy. I really believe that the more you understand what inspires you, the more readily you can put yourself in her path. I know what gets my creative juices going. For me, the flower or piece of land that has great light, nature, interesting people, and exotic places where the homogeny of the west has not replaced the beauty of human uniqueness with a strip mall, or the fashion of the day. So putting myself in a place I connect and resonate with, getting out, wandering aimlessly - that inspires me.  "Put yourself in front of interesting stuff...I say."

Practicing my alphabet

Winter Bamboo Series I-II-III

Nest Studies

photo of inspiration for today

Nest of "stuff"...calling me do study it...its' calligraphic graceful lines...and blown from its' fir perch...bringing with it tangled needles...I will imagine and paint amusingly.

Pura de Amo

I just found this link to some of my work I have done in Costa Rica, http://www.ticoclub.com/mn011001.htm... I had no idea this was available...nice, we will see how long it stays online. Awesome!

My Dad is better today, still in hospital in Florida, with conjestive heart failure, geesh we really wish they would change the name of this, his heart did not fail...he is doing much better and will probably stay there until Monday. Mom is doing great with it all she has friends that are helping her get through it all. I talked to Dad, he sounds stressed, emotional and scared. He has the tenacity to fight whatever ails him at any given time, amazing, he is one of my heroes.

Pure Love

mixed media

work in progress combining my love for the handwriting of cultures, painting and nature

Dinner tonight at one of my fav restaurants in town,Cortez Amarillo I thought I was ordering salmon, noooo I ordered a beef, it was delicious, (they didn't consult with me on the menu change) and it didn't taste like salmon, nice group of people, Shannon & Bob, Gaylord, Charlsie, and my mandala is still up on the wall I painted a few years ago. I like to show it to people I take there...it's a fun place where all artists have created designs, tables, chandeliers, murals, etc...eclectic to say the least...I took my camera and forgot the memory card, so I will take pictures next time I go there. Great ideas for the house@edgemere...lol

Do geckos lay eggs?

yeeeess they do...OMG I found a tiny tiny egg on the floor today in studio. So i looked it up online and that is the only thing I can think of that has been in my studio and that lays eggs with a shell. mmmm. Not on my diet...I did go to grocery store today, PriceRight, like a BJ's. Bought some ceviche, wine and almonds. What else do I need? Balanced diet...right...right. But having spinach pesto with linguine tonight.

Blogging

I have been trying to figure out this blogging situation, I changed some setting by accident and it is not as easy as it has been in the past to blog. It is a chore now, so bear with me, I might even start another one, just because I am fustrated and gone through numerous help suggestions and troubleshooting hours (and hours and hours), so I will give a new blog address when I start the other one.

Anyway, life in Costa Rica is really nice, the weather has been beautiful here in the 70's, very windy today, but mostly sunny.

The Costa Rican National Symphony (the green hills are alive with the sound of music...lol), was last night in the town here, Cuidad Colon. It was fabulous, families and lots of children of all ages were there, the music was wonderful, and outdoors....everyone was interested and smiling, laughing, dancing...Carlos put a new doorknob on the back porch, made him some ginger tea...the yellow orchids I bought are doing well...the brilliant orange lilies are blooming in a tall vase...Bernarda and Isabella and I danced to Shikira...Isabella showed us how to belly dance, she is 8 yrs old..very funny...collecting things around property to study patterns, like leaves, seeds, pods, sticks, I know I am weird...studying my spanish...reading poetry...taking naps, sunning, cooking, finding colorful Costa Rican recipes...the lights all went blew out on my christmas tree, waaahhh

Angel Trumpets (work in progress)

You are too beautiful for words, that is why I paint you. I listen to the silent trumpets.
I just went up to the tree and they are all dangling and dropping to the ground. Expired.

Started this series of "Angel Trumpets". watercolor, pencil, colored pencil and who knows what jumps onto my paper while I work on them, maybe some gold leaf, maybe an insect, mixed media. I will allow whatever comes along to inspire me on this brugmansia journey this week. Starting off very abstractly and working on three paintings at the same time, here are two . . out of three . . . to be continued . . .thought it would be interesting to see how this series develops. Beginning, a middle and an end.

Sketchbook

"Allure"
(work in progress) mixed media 7 x 11

Worked on this new concept of mine today, good thing I am giving myself some permission to make mistakes....it is fun....been filling the studio with lots of flowers, can't help it, have no idea what kind they are but got to have them...saw the gecko today too..climbing around on my walls...frozen fruit drinks in my blender, making notes on the celebration in July, too many ideas, another beauty of a day...pool was lovely, talked to John (resident from RI)..he is moving to Panama the end of month with his adopted dog, Archie...library here looks better than last year, cushions on the chairs now, books in order, newspapers to check out, books on Costa Rica, ...looking into traveling down to Osa, the southern part, Cocovado Park. It will take some planning with my peeps whether we go by bus or fly or rent a car...so lots to think about here.

Getting comfortable in my home away from home...wine with Pat & Willy (residents) on Tuesday night...Bernarda made dinner on Friday night in my studio and we belly danced the night away with her daughter, Isabella teaching us with her bells jingling on her waist and the arms flying in the air, funny....Gaylord (poet) made chicken dinner for Vivian (artist) and I on tonight...really nice. Patricia coming Monday, no just heard Tuesday now, she wants to come down so bad, but her health puts her into a "status quo" mode..to be continued

Brugmansia/Datura

After posting in my blog today, about my favorite flower here in Costa Rica, this poem found me, literally, so I am taking it as my "muse" for the start of some wonderful paintings, of poetry, handwriting & calligraphic marks and inspiration...while they are in bloom...so cool when this happens to me. (with Lise's blessings) Listening to my intuition and experimenting. I have done some paintings of the Angel Trumpet before, but now taking it further into its intoxication.

Cloud Forest
by Lise Goett (friend I met at the artist colony last year)

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. An acre of trees
for each ton of carbon load is packed up these Costa Rican steeps
by human hand, the forest canopy a lung.

You are carbon after all and to dust you shall return.
You are tired of the news, each day another hemorrhagic
wound: the drilling day, the trigger point, unctuous

plumes unfurling a Medusa’s head, a toxic gumbo spilling into dread.
On the path, by moonlight, just like you,
the ants are dismantling the jungle, leaf by leaf,

dragging it to their fire hill. Who would will their nature
or yours—your farm-fed fish, your terrerian gavage—
other than it is? They’ve been here since the start of time,

boring holes through leaves no one read.
Genius of the lazar house, petite ame bleue, how long
will your species live, the earth a spinning lazaretto?

The fleshlike bells proffer their perfume.
You are of them—their syrups of forgetfulness,
their gummy shades of night. How long will it take

to remake you, your soul no longer made of lead?
You held the handkerchief as the world danced to its demise.
The owl asks, “Who?’ You knew the answer once.

These are my favorite flower in Costa Rica, "Angel Trumpet",
the perfume is intoxicating and poisonous. Will be painting these
for sure while they are in bloom.

I am so glad it stopped raining, it is 81 degrees, just a gorgeous day, went to the "multiplaza" today with some people satyin here in the colony, Francisco took us in his huge silver pickup truck...I hat the way he drives. I have to close my eyes, the motorcycles, and people waiting to cross the street, small card darting from everywhere. Makes me sweat...or was it a hot flash?

Feeling like this is home away from home now after 5 years coming here. Drinking my papaya liquid lunch smoothie and eating ceviche...tonight Bernarda & Isabella are coming over for supper, we are making her "tica" dish of tomato soupa with avocados...and she has to check over a gift certificate I designed for her "massage" business, and then translate into Spanish.

I am settling in, art supplies are where they should be, I forgot a couple things, but will manage. Now I am waiting for the muse to take over...too much thinking. Makes me tired.

No madarin oranges yet on the tree near the pool, no bananas yet either on property that are ripe, place is full of people by the weekend, group dinner Monday night, bought beautiful orchid today for my studio, the ants have given up on crawling on my easel, after I dowsed with lysol three times, I put my string of lights on the wall in a xmas tree shape, looks cool...it is 3:30pm, and it is so still outside, no breeze...but pleasant and bright, energizing...ok

Rain....rain go away

wow, it is so green, lots of rain...raining now, I have a sweater on, it is damp for sure and my hibiscus tea is steaming, fog is rolling in between the mountains, it is nice to be back here. It's quiet, the mind, body and spirit is in balance...right now, will settle in today and work on some ideas for new series. This is not a real bird, it is a cut-out. silly...