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We live in a very small, cute house while we build our new home in Costa Rica. This means very limited art painting making happy space. This is ok, as I’m sticking to studying for a class I’m enjoying. Everything is small for this class: paper swatches, painting surfaces, supplies, etc. This is good…because as I make new things there is limited storage space, too. The first few weeks here were spent at the coffee table and the back patio tables. I’m still spending time at the coffee table for things like collaging and cutting paper. I adore my new art table. We decided to have local Uvita craftsman Freddy make us this table. Here’s all the reasons why we love this table:
 The back patio table during a painting session. My heart brother Jim says it looks  My art studio at the coffee table. This space is used only to glue collages, write, and maybe some digital work.  Me with my new table by Uvita craftsman Freddy. Wheels added by Andy.  As I was checking out our outside laundry system at our new home in Costa Rica, a bat landed on the wall above me. It was about six inches long. I was happy to see it, but sad as it was a late morning. It let me get a single photo and then took off. ©Angeline Marie MartinezIt’s very weird being in Costa Rica for October. There isn’t the whole Fall Thing here in Costa Rica. The whole Fall Thing didn’t make sense to me in Florida, anyway, so it almost feels like a bit of relief, lol. It’s great not having to listen and watch a constant onslaught of marketing about Fall Things like harvesting, warm colors, sweaters, pumpkin spice, fire places, Holiday Shopping, etc. Everything is green here, so all this straw stuff makes even less sense in Costa Rica than in Florida. I hate the cold, not a pumpkin spice kind of girl, anyway! So far, Alexa provides tunes to a simple speaker we brought. The music is interrupted by US commercials about…you guessed it…Fall Things! I still don’t understand everyone’s excitement about all this, lol! I did see some Halloween decor in a store here. One store, on what amounts to two long shelves. No candy on display, just decor! There are two seasons here: winter and summer. Cooler or Hot Hot. Rainy or Dryer. There is truly no “sweater weather,” unless you count that Andy and I wish we had an extra bed sheet during cooler nights, lol. This little bat is one of many we enjoy watching fly about our new temporary home in Costa Rica. Happily, this is the only bat we’ve seen in the daylight. It’s a poor photo, but I was lucky to get it! Happy Halloween and Happy Fall Things!  These two bats were sleeping under the outside roof of Los Gatos Locos Restaurant. The music and lunch conversation didn't faze them at all. They snoozed over the outside railing with three more of their family, not shown here.  Front cover of my Outage Thrive Kit; inside page of the last Outage Thrive Kit, circa October, 2020; back cover of Outage Thrive Kit  Front cover of my Outage Thrive Kit; inside page of the last Outage Thrive Kit, circa October, 2020; back cover of Outage Thrive Kit  Front cover of my Outage Thrive Kit; inside page of the last Outage Thrive Kit, circa October, 2020; back cover of Outage Thrive Kit If I were still at my job, I would be working an outage RIGHT NOW. I’m not going to explain any nuclear power vocabulary here at all. I’ll just say outages require all employees to work six days weekly, for a minimum of 12.5 hours daily. Add the commute time to all of these daily hours. Outage duration might be three weeks or longer, dependent on scheduled work, etc. All outages add up to very exhausted employees. I was one of those glazed eyed, unhappy, exhausted, trudging, trying to do my best, miserably scared of getting sick employees. I was barely conscious of my birthday and Halloween...I was barely conscious at all. My days were drive to job, do my best at job, drive home, do a couple of chores, try to enjoy time with Andy, and go to bed! Quite a few outages ago, artist Carol Trice was having to work some overtime for her job industry. She made up a book similar to this one, with sticker rewards. I adore stickers. I copied Carol’s idea. This was one of the few ways I could still feel like me...adding reward stickers to my calendar day. To earn a sticker, I had to spend at least five minutes on that option. Those minutes were precious. Yes, I had a Must Do List, too. When Andy and I had to work outages, I printed systems for myself and worked them. All of the lists got stickers. Andy rolled his eyes, but I had my list and our outages ran smoother. I threw out this book this year!!! I kept my collected leftover Halloween stickers, because, I love stickers, lol! I kept my instructions for how to make and use another book like this. I prefer to abandon ever needing a book like this again, but life is weird. Maybe I’ll make one for doing art biz things? Hmm…! If you need a thrive kit like this, I’m happy to share my instructions. Step one is get some great, happy, fun, bright stickers like you can find at Dollar Trees in the US. The stickers can be any theme of your choice. You could do like old school and stick to gold stars, too. Next steps are find a cover, make a list, repeat and print the list. Pura vida from Costa Rica, where I’m figuring out what’s next!  Tomasina and I in my old studio. We were saying goodbye to the space...and Tomasina helped me smile. Originally posted to my IG.  When I found Tomasina in my art/workout suitcase, I burst out laughing. Andy asked why I bothered to bring her. My reply was for my reaction...to laugh with joy. She’s now on a tiny shelf, looking out at me. In case you hadn’t heard, Andy and I moved to Costa Rica.
Yes, we still have a stake in the USA. So if you have any of my contact info, much of it will still work. It might take a few days to get back to you. Anyway, Andy and I bought a slice of land here in Costa Rica in 2019. We are now renting a place while our new home is being constructed. We’ve officially been here two weeks, today, this posting. Four months ago (or maybe 5? Time is flying...so it was this 2021), I bought some acrylic gouache paint, some paper, etc. to work through Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers. Andy and I had no idea where we would be living during construction...but I best prepare to have a very, very, very small space for an art studio. This color workshop takes up a small work space and requires a very small amount of supplies. I gift myself a creative break, finally get to learn from this book (had it 6 years!) and still get to PAINT! I filled the carry-on travel suitcase with our gym supplies and my art supplies, the book Color: A Workshop, and a few other things. Art things went back and forth from a storage unit box to the suitcase. I made a promise to myself: whatever is in the suitcase will have to work for me. The next time I’m allowed to open the suitcase is when we are in Costa Rica. The gym stuff was easy, lol! As we slowly move into our temporary home, the last setup is my studio space. My suitcase remains full of art supplies...but I get to rummage through them! I found Tomasina...and burst out joyfully with laughter. I’m so happy to have my old friend with me. Is there something that you packed for yourself and found later that it made you laugh with joy? What was it?  Paper menus and the top of receipt from Versailles Restaurant...just because I don’t have my own photos of the real place, lol.  I originally posted this May, 2011. Most of this still holds true. I’m reposting here because it was one of my most popular blog posts. Andy and I recommend Versailles Restaurant to everyone. I never did the bike rentals at Versailles, France. If you have the chance to take any organized workshop by Cynthia Morris, do it. Her online courses are good, too. I was in Paris, France for four weeks. I was always entertained, sketched everywhere, loved it, soaked up design. I went to bed so drunk on art that my mind spinned all night long. It was a wonderful time. I returned home because of Andy and my mom...because I wanted to figure out a way to stay longer. Without further ado, here’s the original post:
My life in Miami, Florida already includes a Versailles. It is not the palace in Paris, France, but THE Cuban food (palace?) restaurant in town. When Mama and I want a good meal that is bueno, bonito, y barato (good, pretty, and cheap), we visit Versailles. We know we are going to enjoy comfort and an interestingly diverse crowd of people. The real Versailles in France has been visited much more than the restaurant, but not by me. The first visit was in 1987 and the second was 1992. Am now learning that what tourists see of Versailles is but a small fraction of delights to see and experience. Just another reason to spend FOUR weeks in Paris, France: to be at Versailles for an entire day of exploration that tourists do not get. A day of drawing, walking, and collecting patterns off the palace's wallpaper walls! Here's the quick list of what I learned: 1. There are cafes on the grounds for rest and food. 2. Tickets can be bought outside of Versailles so you can save yourself a very long line to get one. 3. Bike rentals are available to view the gardens. 4. The garden's water fountains have shows during the summer, through September and October. 5. The website for Versailles if chock full of goodies or buy a book upon arrival for a self guided tour. How did I learn these things about Versailles? Cynthia Morris of the Curious Excursion spent a bit of time putting together a guide for those of joining her adventure. When that much effort is made, I pay attention. One of Cynthia's tidbits was of her friend Heather's Secrets of Paris website. Super site, and got the freebie guide on Versailles that helped with this Fridays in France post. 2021 PS: If you’d like to meet for lunch or dinner at Versailles Restaurant, message me! Email me! Let’s see if we can! |
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Drawing, painting both analog and digital, and other artsy things while living in Costa Rica.
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