Yogurt & Yoga

Bamboo Vertical 4 x 9
Bamboo Horizontal 9 x 4
watercolors

Yogurt, toast, costa rican coffee, sunshine, produce market with Sarah, a ripened pineapple for 1.40, a cucumber for .20, checked on Patricia at the river, took taxi home, went in pool, painted, worked on post card design, worked on dvc menu, painted, Carlos fixed the sink drain in kitchen, salad for lunch, painted, getting ready for studio tour Wednesday @1:00, found gecko in bathroom looking at himself in the mirror, painted, yoga for an hour, felt dizzy, watched Top Designer, very windy tonight, another salad, post card design, blogged, talked to Cal, emails, bed, book, sleep.

Yo!

Air on Air, 11 x 30 watercolor by Lorraine

Was invited to dinner with Hector DeCordova, artist from Long Island, NY. His gallery is a website listed on side bar on right. I helped him get online with his computer, he had old version of windows and it needed to be manually configured. He was so kind to thank me and took me to dinner at Essentia (Spanish for perfume). One of my favorite places in Costa Rica, real artsy place, great food and lots of art everywhere.

The Day the Earth Shook

Yes, there was an earthquake on Thursday, I felt it. Was short, a little scary. I was with Sarah, Marc and Bernarda at the orchid gardens in Cartago, a few miles south of San Jose. Bernarda grabbed my arm and said that was an earthquake, I thought she was feeling dizzy and holding on to me. She was pulling me away from trees. So, we went about the gardens in a usual manner and found out from workers that it was high on the rictor scale (6.!). A little nerve-racking. I was more concerned about it all when we went to a restaurant and they had the news on. It was only about hour later and they had news about tourists being trapped up near La Paz Waterfalls and Poas Volcano, where we had been considering going. Thank goodness we did not go there, anyway, there are some people stuck up there, safe but no road to get back down from mountain, roads are very rough, but paved up there, just close to edges, no gard rails and roads were wiped out with landslides. Today will be more news. Glad to be back in studio. But also went to the Orosi Valley, which was breathtaking, it was late in afternoon and the sun was shining in the west going down and dark clouds in the east, it was so dramatic looking down the valley to the river winding around green jungle hills.

Too the Big City San Jose

Manuel, our taxi driver dropped us off for the day in San Jose, to see the Jade Museum, then discovered the Cafe Mundo, Contemporary Art & Design Museum of Costa Rica, The National Theatre and the market of artisans with Sarah & Marc, in San Jose's historic section, really interesting architecture in this part of city. Fascinating stone work, wrought ironworks on gates, stamped impressions in sidewalks, building edifaces, design motifs in tiles, sculptures, colors, jewelry, and much of it all relates to nature's patterns. I have started to incorporate some of these elements in my paintings and it will develop as I work them into each one, each a journey. And this adventure continues.

Thursday, another day trip ride south of San Jose to Cartago area. Lancaster Botanical gardens with Bernarda, Sarah and Marc, to be continued....

'Life is too short to wake up in
the morning with regrets, so love
the people who treat you right,
forget about the ones who don't,
and believe that everything
happens for a reason. If you get a
chance, take it. If it changes
your life, let it. Nobody said
life would be easy, they just
promised it would be worth it.'

Tuesday @ Colony

Last night Carlos took us up to Tiquencia restaurant, but they were closed, up a very steep hill where you can see three cities all in glitter, just an amazing spot. Will go back another time. Had dinner at a Carribean food restaurant near here, It was fantastic!. I thin the owner/waiter took advantage of us though, serving us all an appetizer of ceviche, which was the best I ever has, but we just wanted one to share, and then for dessert he did the same thing, served us each a dessert when we thought we would just be sharing one. It was a really nice celbration, Carlos, his wif, and their daughter Juliatti, she is approx. 28 yrs old and has a wonderful son Jaun Camillo who was in the colony last year, he is 9yrs old, sweet, sweet kid, handsome and a real nice boy, wish he was here again.

Started another painting with a drawing of my favorite tree, a quanaqaste, a huge trunk with two differnent kinds of leaves, that are not on it now, because it is winter here. It has five tire swings hanging from it, each a different color, I hope I can pull this painting it off, (wondering if I should do mixed media on it) I am looking down at it at a high steep hill/ledge of old dead palm leaves. It will be interesting!, Had a relaxing day really, went to the market with some artists, came back. went in the pool, and puttered aroundcleaning/reading my watercolor magazine and had a really nice time at Patricia's studio for a glass of wine before dinner and conversation with a few los artistas and shared our thoughts on art and the world. Now just catching up on blog and eating dinner, lettuce, avacado, chicken with onions. cinnamon, cumin and a small potatoe. Looking forward to my visitors soon.

Upcoming Exhibit 2009

https://www.bankri.com/BankRIGalleries/GalleryCalendar/tabid/506/Default.aspx

Sunday at the Canyon

Canyon
11 x 30 watercolor by Lorraine Bromley

Patrica & I went exploring the area of Cuidad Colon for our next painting location, we have been painting mostly on the grounds here at the colony, however we think it is to our best interest if we go off property this week, pending RISD group and 14 RISD students. Carlos took us to a couple spots near the canyon and then we needed more time to explore area, Carlos did not have more time so we opted to call our favorite taxi cab driver, Rigo. He of course knows the area, took us down to the bottom of canyon to the raging river, but not a good spot to paint, too far and we need to take about four hours to paint in an area, but what an adventure, it was a beautiful ride, through the jungle, very dry and dusty though. So the last place we saw, close to the colony (5 minutes) was the right place to go back to today for the morning to paint. Fransico had plans in the morning with students, Carlos had the day off and we were going to ask Rigo back to take us to the canyon again today, but guess what there was Carlos's old jalopy truck just sitting there, so I asked if I could drive it to our destination, Fransico said yes, so we piled up in the el carro and coasted down to the canyon spot, had a very productive day there. The painting I did kept going from, "I hate this" to "mmm it's coming along" to "this is a stupid painting" to " I think I like it now" to "what am I doing here". Propably will go back tomorrow, don't know how we will get there yet, but will figure it out then, I will start another one, because this one is done, until I look at it another time this week and say, "it needs something else". The life of an artist, I am exhausted just telling you about it. nite.

Hibiscus I
watercolor monotype & colored pencil
by Lorraine Bromley

"The best times as an artist is when I am so caught up in the

work that I can hardly bear to tear myself away."

Colors

I am going through my paints a little faster than I thought, I had to order more paint. We will see how long it takes to get here in Colon. I found a new color I like, Blue Apatite Genuine by Daniel Smith. I am using alot of greens, every green color you can think of, leaf green, olive green, yellow green and cobalt green. My green period!

Feliz Anos Nuevo 2009 todos amigos y familia

Happy New Year 2009 to all my friends & family
I found this poem in the colony that an artist wrote, it describes this retreat.

A Time and a Place:
Ciudad Colón. May 2008

In Ciudad Colón there is a place, perched on a hill of verdant green

Mango, banana vie for space with lemon, lime and bean.

Pass through wrought-iron Colony gates, family and friends all disappear

Cometh the time, the hour is nigh, to spread our wings and fly.

Pintor, escritor gravitate, in casas, casitas hunker down

To chase the Muse and so alone

but wind that makes the bamboo groan.

Take it as a special gift, as we pursue our lonely quest

To have this place, to be alone, submit, oblit, repeat and hone.

Tropical plants unceasingly, give forth their fruit prodigiously

Hummingbirds sip, with unearthly

quiet where writers write.

Coconuts crowd high in the sky, as rain relentless passes by

Worker ants unceasing toil, cut pathways in the verdant soil.

Go now to another plain, heed not hunger, thirst or pain

Be thou creative with pen and brush,

waste not this time bestowed on us.

By James Cullinane

December Group

(left-right) Shelly, Patricia, Mark, Sarah, Roxy, Jonathan, me
(missing, Vivian, Katherine, Kirstin, Jorgy)

I hate this picture of me, I am trying to photoshop it, so I look thinner, will upload it when I finish it! I can not believe I look like this, I think that the camera is on wide angle. wow! Even Patricia looks heavy and that is not the case at all. Have I made myself clear?

New Year's Eve get together at Francisco's main house, we will watch fireworks and have pot luck dinner., The house is on side of a steep hill and we'll be able to see fireworks in Cuidad Colon, I think if we were on the other side of mountain we could see fireworks all over San Jose, we are facing southwest. Can see Venus at about 2:00 AM, yes I wake up then for some reason. Planet so bright, in my bedroom windowI am going to check tonight if I can see other planets as well in line with Venus.

Mi Las Caudros

Pensaro

I am thinking about......orchids, montotypes, super mora, meatballs, the ledge, Forrest, Katherine, Spanish lesson, pasta, avacados, fruit, smoothies, madarines, bananas, papyas, Patricia, Joseph, Simon, cala lilies, birds of paradise, canyon, river, sunsets, Dad, colored pencils, Kansas Burning, Summer in Tuscany, bamboo, ants, ants, ants, Rigo, fireworks, pizza, zoo. pool, sunshine & ants, Aja, Hudson, what am I going to paint next....homework, J&W, studio, visitors, budget & ants. Chlorox, clean sheets, clothesline, breezes, coffee and yogurt.

Ants

Zoologico

http://www.lorrainebromley.smugmug.com/gallery/6933861_2P5gC#443874948_m8yMd

Feliz Navidad

The artists in the colony had a pot luck dinner tonight, salad, focaccia, pasta, lots of cookies, some German treats, lentil salad, salmon/potato hor d euvres, really nice evening by the pool, no bugs, perfect weather.

I painted this morning with Patrica and tried a landscape today, will work on it again, not sure if I like the outcome. I think I would rather paint the nature in more close-up views. But I would like to design some paintings with more buildings, combining man-made structures with the natural elements and how they intertwine with each other. I might start another painting today.

Kursten (artist), Jorge, Adela, Roxy (artist), Jonathan, Patricia (artist), Katherine (writer), Shelley (artist/writer), Avery (resident curmudgeon) and Forrest & Simon (dogs). A couple other artists went to the beach for holiday. Colony employees went to home, they want to get as far from this place on holidays. We all discussed, that if you could live like a Tico, it can be very inexpensive to live here all the time, but coming from the states, living expenses are very much the same, the economy is very stable here, but groceries are about the same, gas is very expensive, and always has been, but public transportation is cheap, .50 c to go locally and maybe $10-20 to go cross country, but of course not as convenient, changing buses, time, but worth seeing this beautiful country.

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

Home Sweet Home

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes...I see some space. Good thing we have an attic. Much smaller with furniture in it...but feels cozy. It's becoming a nice little place, but takes time to let things find there place here, I have tried so many different things on walls and furniture in different places. Maybe another month I might have it all figured out, then I'll change it again. So much to do, fix the leaks in shower stall...paint the hutch white, find a smaller dinner table, get rid of one leather chair, bolt small cabinets over my desk area, decide on kitchen floor and wall color. I am off to hang curtains.

Monhegan Island, Maine, USA

Just returned from Monhegan Island, Maine, an enchanting island off the coast of Maine. Rocky coasts, quaint cottages, beautiful sunsets, lobsters, artists and me. I painted everyday with friends, Susan, Madeline, Mike, Jeanne, and Anne.
www.lorrainebromley.smugmug.com

Updates

Photographs: www.lorrainebromley.smugmug.com

Honorable Mention Award
Beach Treasure, a watercolor
Art of the Ocean State
Wickford Art Association

Painting in Garden
Wickford in Bloom Walking Tour
Saturday, July 19th, 2008 11-3

Artists along Main Street
East Greenwich Main Street Stroll
Simon Says Cafe
July 11th, 2008 5-8

Exhibits
July 9th-August 2, 2008, Beach Rose Cafe
July 11th-August 2, 2008, Simon Says Cafe
July 1- July 25, 2008 "Art of the Ocean State", Wickford Art Association
July 3-25th, 2008 "Out of the Blue", Attleboro Art Museum


Classes
Friday Morning Watercolor
Suite 208 Shady Lea Art Complex
North Kingstown, RI

Workshops
February 13-28, 2009
New Inspirations in Watercolor
Cuidad Colon, Costa Rica

Others TBA
Monets Garden. France
Colors of Greece, Crete, GR
Provence in Summer, France
Wickord Watercolor, RI, USA

Press Release

Violet Roots

watercolor by Lorraine Bromley
Also, more news, I am so excited to have become a member of the Art Legue of RI (ALRI), and in the very good company of wonderful artists in this area. I received my letter of acceptance this week and I look forward to their exhibits and community activities of this well received group. Bristol Art Museum, ALRI Members Show, October, 2008 www.artleagueri.org

Acceptance in Attleboro Museum's 35th Anniversary show "Out of the Blue", a national juried show, where over 800 entries and 108 were chosen, Violet Roots, (watercolor shown here), will be on exhibit there July 3rd-July 25th. www.attleboromuseum.org

Art Workshop: New Inspirations in Costa Rica

Watercolor Workshop
Date: February 13-28th, 2009

This will be my 3rd year painting in Costa Rica. I would love to share it and show you the wonders of this beautiful Central American country. I paint in watercolor, use photography as a reference tool and love to draw with markers, colored pencils and experiment with mixed media. My art is influenced by the rolling patchwork fields, flora and fauna inhabiting this magical landscape in of Costa Rica. It's the colors, the weather, the peacefulness, the air is sweet and soft. The various climates of the rainforests, the jungles, the beach, city, country, farms and waterfalls give me so much inspiration to paint. Join me next year and experience Costa Rica with me.

Cost: $1100.00

10 day workshop includes workshop, accommodations, breakfast, welcome dinner, Farewell Dinner, transportation for workshop travel.

Each day there will be a focus for painting inspiration, art journaling assignment and demonstrations, critiques, studio tour, museum visit, an overnight weekend in another part of country with experienced tour guide.

Not included

RT Air Fare (BOS-SJO)
Entrance fees to selected sites
Some Meals

Interested artists should email me at lorrainedesigns@cox.net

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Just passing through

I did not want to leave CR....I am quilty, yes. I have not been journaling, I do not know why. I keep forgetting actually. Right now I can not sleep, it is 12:30am and I am at my Mom & Dad's house in Florida. Flight was not bad at all, just feels like a wasted day. I did some drawing with all the waiting for planes, in the restaurant, and looking at rivers and farmland from up in the plane, so I quess it was not wasted. I doodled with some pencil designs on my new square banana paper.

I plan on doing more doodling here in Florida with Hudson Jai. Alot of swimming too, I hope and playing. We are going to play the whole week. I can't wait. Coloring and playing and playing some more, and maybe play even more. We have toy trucks and a make believe roadway and coloring books, crayons, puzzles here at great-grandmas casa and we will practice our spanish too. Maybe he will teach me some.

A Day of Rest

No Way. Cal has left early this morning, of course in kind of a rush, couldn't find his colones, he forgot his medicines. And he did not want to leave so soon, felt like he just got here. Especially after being so sick on the first part of his trip here. Well we will be back next year for sure. He got a taste of CR and we had a really nice time considering everything. We went to Essentia Restaurant (my favorite right now) for a romantic dinner, went to open markets, explored & walked the property trails, did some work too (very little).

Now I am off to the Pacific again for a catamaran boat adventure. Chantal, who lives here and I are driving to the shore and hoping on a catamarn for the half day tour, snorkeling, beach and lunch and be back at colony in early afternoon. Oh boy more pictures. Gotta run...

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.