Costa Rica
Iguana and Strangler Fig
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Iguana and Strangler Fig, Costa Rica, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Frame unnecessary. Hang on a wall or display on a flat surface.
The Strangler Fig is a parasite. Seeds sprout in moss or decaying matter among the branches of rain forest canopies. Roots gradually extend downward and over time completely surround the host tree, which dies while nourishing the Strangler Fig growing in its place.
March 14th, March 13: Phases 1, 2 and 3 earlier progress in thumbnails below. Today layering thin washes of pale yellow, placing the iguana more into the background. Some of the details of the Strangler Fig growth that are now covered up might be brought back into focus since this is more about the tree than the iguana. Posting the painting on the blog is helpful because it’s viewed differently than while painting or studying it. It’s somehow easier to see areas that still need change when looking at it on-screen.
Decaying Ceiba Leaves
Sunday, March 8th, 2009
Decaying Ceiba Leaves, Lake Cote Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Sold.
Guanacaste Trees
Monday, February 25th, 2008
Guanacaste Trees, Costa Rican Grasslands, 11H x 14W inches oil pastels on paper. Part of the Paper Places series, all have white double mats and white custom built wood frames with crackle finish, total size 22H x 26W inches.
The unusually wide umbrella-like shape of the trees look cartoonish, but with a few textures I think the issue is resolved now.
Guanacaste trees have such presence! Costa Rica is not well known for its open grasslands, but north-west and central areas of the country flatten out a little, with mountains of rain forests and volcanoes on the horizon. Guanacaste trees look entirely different growing in the rain forest than on the open grasslands.
Coconut Palm, Costa Rica
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006
Coconut Palm, Costa Rica, 14 x 11 inches oil pastels on paper with 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.
Lake Cote Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica
Sunday, May 21st, 2006
Lake Cote Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica, 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.
This is a perfect example of how each piece in the Paper Places series for unique style. I follow intuitively responding to what happens on the page as the work unfolds.