Bamboo Winds
watercolor 22 x 30

Arriving back home Friday evening
Ok, I really don't want to go back to reality. But, I have 13 new friends I have met here too from all over the world. It has been a very productive trip, learned about blogs and the creative journey of writing in this online journal daily for a month, which I always wanted to do. I got to know my camera better, today I found out the flash has different levels of light I can control, but still I am baffled on night time shooting and the speed of shutter adjustments with this digital camera. Dowloading and filing photos. Composing photos, without this computer I woud not have been so productive. Viewing my images instantly for reference for my different "series" of paintings. The Boatman, Bananas, Landscapes, Bamboo, Architecture, Orchids, Coffee Beans, Trees, Sarongs. I have enough reference today from Costa Rica to last a lifetime, but I will be back and hopefully not alone. I would love to share this magnificent scenery with my friends and family and students. I am working on another trip to come here with art travelers for same time next year Dec & Jan. The people are so gracious and kind here. The country is the most beautiful I have ever seen, so much for an artist for subject matter. I will look at things differently now even in my own little village, Wickford, RI.

Today 4 of us went to Orosi & Cartaga. We went to the hot springs and then we went to Lankaster Gardens where I have the most beautiful photos of the strangest looking orchids. The Orosi Valley was great, it was a bit cool and a really foggy day, perfect weather for soaking in the hot springs while the sounds of waterfalls and streams surround you. Sounds to good to be true. We had a nice little man for taxi driver who asked me for directions, that was a little scary, don't you think. I mean I have a great sense of direction, but please, I lost my patience with him. Anyway, I am packing now after a pleasant dinner with most of us at Finca Bonanza again, they had this huge spanish banquet table with 8 high back chairs. We all sat around. It was another grand night enjoying the atmosphere there and the company of people I have lived with for a month. mmmmm The four words again that descibe this wonderful opportunity for me would be, the spontaneity of creating, the discipline to paint/draw/photograph a piece or pieces of art everyday, to paint and draw and compose with passion and for even a short time, the freedom to do it all in. Thank you for reading my blog and sharing this month with me. I would love to show you the work I have accomplished here and hope you can enjoy Costa Rica's natural beauty someday soon for yourself, before it gets too popular. Para Vida!!!!

Coffee Plants, watercolors, 4 x 9

Miriam Hitchcock, mixed media
Today was about getting ready for our open studio for invited guests and friends. We had about 20-25 people & the resident dogs visiting our studios and then we had the writers read some of their passages. Miriam's collection of work was refreshing, humorous and illustrative, it describes her to a "T'. Susan's work was vibrant, colorful, very whimsical and her magical lyrics & song entranced us all in her fairyland casita. Allison is writing her memoirs and read an exert from her teen-years that was very funny and I could imagine the scenario all to well. Alice read from her textbook on how the arts affect the special needs of children with autism and other serious handicaps. That was such a great way to end our time here for a full cirlce, realizing the importance of art in everyones world. Royce, director here at colony read from his 4 year project of growing up with an emotional unstable mother, but on an intellectural, educated level after studying and working in the psychology field. I coulde his story as a full length movie, and that was just a short exert of his story. Piogiant!

Susan Szathmary, Acrylic

I went horseback riding again at the same place. Just three of us this time. A different trail, an hour was a good amount of time to be on a horse, my knee muscles hurt, though. It was a beautiful experience. The horses are so beautiful. The Costa Rican cowboys were getting the horses ready for a big parade in San Jose today. Hundreds of horses strutt there stuff, fancy stepping, dancing, must be an awesome site to see. Because I have only a couple days left here, time is precious. So I can not squeeze one more thing in these next days. The day(s) of course flew by. Picked up a couple things for lunches in Colon, walked up that damn hill again, (I will not miss carrying my groceries up that hill) Lorenzo came over to see me, Soizic kicked him out of their casita, she had a client meeting. He so graciously educated me about Vitamin B12 that I have been taking for boosting my metabolism. He writes about health issues, I think he owns some spa clubs, anyway it was a really nice visit, he is about 68 , from Rome and told me I need to do more breathing excersises, so that I can be in harmony. I will try to do these tasks daily to see if he is right. Sweet man. So, I did not think he would stay so long this afternoon, then time for the sunset at Vinca Bonanza again, we went for tea and paid our bill from last night, because none of us had colones to pay for our christmas dinner. They were so kind. Long story. Took a taxi back to colony, because the path to the restaurant that we found (is a secret), another long story) was too dark, I was ascared of snakes in the grass at night. And not to mention tipping over again. I have a reputation now, being clumsy. Working hard tonight to finish up two paintings for our "open studio night" tomorrow after our last supper, Alice & Allison doing readings, Susan & Miriam & I showing our masterpieces to the colony, Dina decided not to participate. We have invited some outside guests that we all have met this month. Hopefully Royce will read from his writings also. Macy (one of the dogs) brought Susan over to visit tonight, so we had a few chuckles, nice break from painting. We are all hiding in our casitas tonight finishing up for tomorrow night. I'll be up all night trying to decide how to present all I have done. Over 50 drawings and paintings, did not reach my goal of a hundred paintings, but I did get alot accomplished. I have taken over a thousand pictures and I feel like I still don't have enough, the landscapes here are gorgeous, and being on a bus both times going places I have not been able to take many landscape shots, so we are going to hire a taxi for Thursday morning to take us to Orosi a quaint village south of San Jose for a few hours and stop at all the Kodak moments along the way, Taxi driver and the girls have been forewarned. Thursday night taking Carlos out because he has been the "gem" at this place, helping each one of us see the Costa Rican ways of fun, hospitality and generousity. I leave Friday morning, be home after 8:00pm. Having trouble agaian uploading photos.

We were reflecting at our very special Christmas dinner about Saturday's candlelight service. A cast of characters. It was in English & Spanish, it was more tolerable in Spanish, Miriam sitting next to me at the service, said at one point "just picture him in his underwear" and then I couldn't stop laughing. You know the kind of laughing where it could've been out of control? We were captive there, and it was the most amusing night, singing carols. Another andidote was that Rainbow, in her late 70's, forgot to put her bottom teeth in before going out. There are "muchos mas" stories to tell. I have to practice my Spanish even writing it helps me, sorry, but this is my journal remember?

Feliz Navidad y paz to us and to you. It was such a pleasant morning of exchanging gifts, at breakfast. French toast, fruit, maple syrup. We made wishes for the coming year & some of the party goers are wishing their headaches would go away. I do miss home today. It is warm here about 78 degrees F. Some puffy clouds and feels like there might be a shower coming along. I hear thunder. I did laundry this morning and hung the clothes out on a line, they dried in about an hour. Smells great! The nights here smell like jasmine too. It is in the winds. Trying to catch up on blog this afternoon and do a bit of painting, then we will all go to dinner at Vinca Bonanza and watch sunset. Bonanza sounds like a really tacky place. huh? I have found a new drink, cold tea of Rosa de Jamaica, made from hibiscus flower petals, real red color mixed with a little juice, refreshing. The coffee is very smooth here too which I love and learning again what good coffee taste like.

Chantelle's fiesta was great too, around the pool, lots of great food, this merinque with strawberries and almond pie, was mucho deliciouso she said she would give me the recipe. I will blog it when I recieve it. Lisa gave us all friendship bracelets from her trip to Nicaragua last week, made by a family of ceramists there. She is working with "Potters for Peace". www.pottersforpeace.com Fireworks and a Columbian band, lots of dancing the Salsa, Merengue, y mucho mas. Dogs went loco with the fireworks. We all brought Chantelle a bit of food for table, stuffing, deviled eggs, egglant spread, pina coladas. I would have brought my famous focaccia, but could not find dough and didn't know how to ask for it in Spanish. (I should have brought my garlic press too) Painted all day long, made bookmarks for all the girls for gifts of friendship for christmas morning. Worked on large bamboo painting and started 4 collages 13 x 13 for each of the seasons using natural pieces found here in Costa Rica.

I am tracking Santa through a website my sister sent me. I hope he finds me.