I Lost a Month!!

My apologies to those who've been waiting to hear about my last trip to Costa Rica. So much is going on, I don't know where to begin. Expect a lot of posts for the next while,....

Let's start with Costa Rica 2014

Here we are! Our trip started in San Jose, when we boarded a bus to head into the mountains of central Costa Rica. Our destination was the Chirripo Mountains. On our inaugural drive, up, we drove through the cloud forest, saw amazing vistas, plant life, and started to experience the local culture through food, people, driving through towns and stunning countryside. 

This photo above was taken at our first resort, Montana Azul, very near the Chirripo National reserve. This building, called Casa Grande (big house), was where we ate our meals, did a  lot of artwork, and sat around the fire in the evening. The building is typical of the area, though we marvelled at the roof, the structure made of Bamboo, and covered with local grasses-How was this made and attached? It's  literally so high, it would represent several stories of any building. The sheer size was mesmorizing.

This building was about half way up one side of a mountain. Here we all are, students, Martine, Angus and Tania too. A happy group- in 75 degrees F weather, every day. You can't see it here, but the building is surrounded by flowers everywhere. There's a perch nearby where the staff place all the leftover fruit skins, etc., and then you can observe the wildlife come to fight over it. It's meant for birds, but one day a Coati-Mundi (looks like a racoon, and is just as determined as Canadian ones!) decided the scraps belonged to him. It was the first of many entertainments by wildlife, and the cameras were a clicking!

Red Spread, 2014

  Being a morning person, I'd get up early every morning, and soak in the quiet, paint, and enjoy some excellent Costa Rican coffee, made by our very own chef for the whole trip, Angus. I love doing this, as it's great to get one painting a day under your belt, before everything else starts to happen. This view, facing south-east, and I can remember my seat and the coffee, while I face this painting waiting to happen. If you wait for just the right moment, there's a point in the morning, when the sun just comes over the top of the mountain, and shines some steep rays over the edge.  There's nothing like the freshness of that morning light. I love associating a wonderful feel for the environment with an idea for a painting. 

Off to a good start!