Paintings by Angeline Marie Martinez
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34 Reasons We Love Costa Rica...

1/7/2025

 

Angeline Marie Martinez

Living her best artist life with ink and paint often on her hands

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For sure, I've forgotten some reasons...but this list has held steady for about three years.

I think this list is appropriate for the start of 2025, eh? 
  1. Green 
  2. Humid 
  3. Breezy
  4. Bats flying 
  5. Crickets 
  6. Lots of geckos
  7. Toads that say “Greeeeat!”
  8. Dink frogs
  9. Hummingbirds 
  10. Howler monkeys
  11. Red red flowers
  12. A funny flower that’s red pineapple like body and then has two huge white blooms with red centers on top like a freaky happy goofy animal 
  13. Huge vines on huge trees 
  14. Ocean breezes 
  15. Salsa music at grocery store entrances
  16. Shopping is like hunting: got try a lot of stores to find that one 😤shower cap you didn’t pack 
  17. But cool mechanical pencil found at an other shop lol 
  18. Dusty then muddy roads 
  19. 4 wheel drive 
  20. Andy teaching me how to drive little by little 
  21. Our SUV Toyota Prado 2005 that I named Brutus…and the name’s stuck
  22. Custom made furniture, 6 pieces, handmade for price of maybe one piece, not pressboard
  23. Google asking if it’s you because you now have CR IP address
  24. No parking at busy tourist place but then you get peopled out so quickly you’re there half hour
  25. NO TRAFFIC JAMS
  26. Learning vocabulary 
  27. Like canceling a facture. That means paying the bill.
  28. Mountains. Valleys. Hills. Cows. Chickens in our rental yard. Horses
  29. Feels better outside than inside 
  30. Cold water from faucets. Drinkable 
  31. Random power blips 
  32. No GFIs. Lol 
  33. Trash cans for toilet paper
  34. Earthquakes we don’t feel

If you found me somehow and it's still January, 2025, the Lucky Cat Email Parade for the Year of the Snake is through January 29th, 2025. If you'd like to watch this email parade, please sign up for my emails by clicking this sentence. If you're on my email list already, you've already a VIP spot to see the Lucky Cat Parade! 
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Purr-fect Pairings: Cats, Coffee, and Cookies at Coffee Cat Cafe

9/24/2024

 

Angeline Marie Martinez

Loves to paint goofy cats and support pet rescue efforts

Coffee Cat Cafe photos
Elcira and I visited the Coffee Cat Cafe in Uvita. The cats enjoy fun decor, safe places, toys, and visitors.
Discover the Magic of Coffee Cat Cafe in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is known for its lush landscapes, vibrant wildlife, and, of course, its world-renowned coffee. Nestled in the heart of this tropical paradise is a hidden gem for coffee lovers and cat enthusiasts alike – the Coffee Cat Café in Uvita. This unique cafe offers a cozy atmosphere where the love of coffee meets the love of cats, creating a delightful experience that’s hard to find anywhere else. The Coffee Cat Café proudly serves some of the finest Costa Rican coffee while there’s various treats for everyone. 

More Than Just a Cafe
While the coffee and menu at Coffee Cat Cafe is certainly a highlight, it’s not the only reason people visit. The cafe is also home to several friendly cats who love nothing more than to curl up on a sunny windowsill or on the lap of a willing guest. For animal lovers, this adds an extra layer of warmth to the already inviting atmosphere. The cats are well cared for and are an integral part of what makes the cafe so special. At Coffee Cat Cafe, proudly serves some of the finest Costa Rican coffee, There’s something on the menu for every palate.

A Cozy, Relaxing Atmosphere for both Cats and Humans
The interior of Coffee Cat Cafe is designed to feel like a home away from home. With comfy seating, soft lighting, and plenty of nooks and crannies to settle into, it’s the perfect place to relax with a good book or catch up with friends. The walls are adorned with local artwork, and the soft hum of conversation mingles with the gentle purring of cats, creating a soothing background soundtrack to your visit. The cats live here, while waiting to find their forever homes, with their indoor boxes, cushions and shelves. 
 
If you love cats but are allergic like me, there’s a nice covered patio area to enjoy outside. It’s purrrfect for painting classes, too!  
Painting class set up at Coffee Cat Cafe by Angeline Marie Martinez
Allergic to cats? Painting class is held outside where the cat's don't visit. No fur here!
merchandise at the Coffee Cat Cafe
Fun merchandise, including my Goofy Cat paintings, at the Coffee Cat Cafe
Supporting the Community
Coffee Cat Cafe is committed to supporting the local community in Costa Rica. They regularly host events that art events and local holidays. They also collaborate with local animal shelters to promote the adoption of cats and raise awareness about animal welfare. When you visit Coffee Cat Cafe, you’re not just enjoying a great cup of coffee; you’re also contributing to a community that values sustainability, art, and compassion for animals. Their cat themed gifts range from toys to lucky cats for the cat lover and cats in your life. I'm honored to have my own Goofy Cat Paintings hanging out with their real ones! !

Visit Coffee Cat Cafe Today!
Whether you’re a local resident or a traveler passing through Costa Rica, Coffee Cat Cafe is a must-visit destination. Come for the coffee, stay for the cats, and leave with a smile. 
 
Please see their website at coffeecatcr.com for more information on their menu, events, address, and opening hours.
 
So why wait? Grab your favorite book, bring a friend, book a Café Cocktail Cat Painting Class, and head to Coffee Cat Cafe for a unique experience that blends the best of Costa Rican coffee culture and treats with the joy of spending time with furry friends. 
paintings of cats with cocktails or cafe by Angeline Marie Martinez
These are four samples I did for my Cocktail or Cafe Cat Painting Classes. You can use your own colors and favorite drink!

15 Monkeys Hi-Thinking of High-Jinkings

8/13/2024

 

Angeline Marie Martinez

Lover of printing, painting, stamping, stenciling and just playing with paint

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15 Monkeys Hi-Thinking of High-Jinking, collage and acrylics on 39 by 23 inches canvas by Angeline Marie Martinez
Oh the ways a monkey can look!

You'll have to decide if this is a troop of 15 monkeys...or just one monkey showing up 15 times with different feelings, lol! 

Every monkey has its own background. Most of these backgrounds were accidental by my pulling a print or cleaning my palette. They are too interesting to destroy, but too boring alone. 

Hey, hey, I thought of (capuchin) monkeys!

Every monkey face is based on a stencil I designed and handout from a photo I took at a local restaurant. The restaurant's trees are often visited by capuchin monkeys, like the ones (or one?) featured here. 

Love monkeys? Then you're lucky! 

You can adopt these monkeys 15 Monkey Hi-Thinks Monkeys Designs by Angeline Marie Martinez or
Download to paint your own monkey or
Download your own monkey to color or
Schedule a class to paint your monkey with me or
ignore the monkeys and see what else is around my website, lol! 



Hormiga Atómica Strikes Again: My Studio's Secret Trash Stash

7/23/2024

 

Angeline Marie Martinez

painting and sketching drawing artist

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Berry container reused
electrical tape box
Electrical tape box
Creative Reuse in the Art Studio
Besides rocks, there are many things I reuse and repurpose in my studio. It’s not just because I can be frugal. Some materials are either difficult to find or too expensive when I do find them, so I won’t buy them.
Why I Choose to Repurpose Materials
I prefer to spend on the tools that are most important, like quality paint, canvases, paper, and brushes. However, I enjoy finding new ways to use things. It’s fun and another way to be creative. I get a kick out of using things that would otherwise go in the trash.
The Story Behind "Hormiga Atómica"
The window installers nicknamed me “Hormiga Atómica.” I had to look up this cartoon character. I took every window support foam sticker they had, along with some packaging materials. I love the nickname, lol.
The Thrill of Turning Trash into Treasure
Don’t tell Andy, but the other day I made an extra stop at the bridge that still had truck wreckage. There were pink sheets of stuff I had to investigate. What if it’s rubbery? What if I can use it for making stamps? It was just compacted thick Styrofoam. I can’t use it. Oh well. At least I can stop wondering! Off to the next trash discovery! 

Did you know I have an ebook about How to Start Drawing More? Download my free guide on budget-friendly (and expensive) art supplies! 
Cardstock from Paper from box cut down
Paper from box cut down for notes, etc. Free cardstock!
plastic-boxes-ready-for-reuse-painting-studio-AngelineMarieMartinez
Plastic boxes for stencil materials or shipping rolled paintings
plastic wrap from packaging
Plastic wrap that's used on my paint palettes
Hotel key cards and old credit cards to make scrappers, paint spreaders, etc
Hotel key cards and old credit cards to make scrappers, paint spreaders, etc

How a Costa Rican Yard Sale Opened My Art Studio: the Tale of Two Nightstands

7/2/2024

 

Angeline Marie Martinez

drawing and painting artist

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Catalog photo of a taboret
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Front, back, and underneath the nightstands or file cabinets, before making into taborets. Garage sale find.
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Upcycling Nightstands into Artistic Taborets in a Small Costa Rican Town
In the heart of a small, picturesque town in Costa Rica, nestled between lush green hills, banana trees, rainforest, and vibrant flora, stood a new home’s guest room with large windows that welcomed streams of natural light. This is Angeline's new art studio, a sanctuary of creativity and inspiration. Angeline, a passionate painter, had transformed the clean space into a colorful haven filled with canvases, paintbrushes, and endless ideas. However, she was missing one crucial element: proper furniture to organize her supplies and provide storage for her growing collection of art materials.
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Studio before taborets, right after moving into this guest room now art studio.
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Painted top of new taboret, ready for the missing plexiglass paint palette
Discovering Treasures at the Community Yard Sale
One sunny Saturday morning, the town held a rare community yard sale, an event that brought everyone together in the town square to buy, sell, and trade treasures. Angeline decided to go, hoping to find something she could use for her studio. As she wandered through the eclectic mix of items, she stumbled upon a pair of old nightstands. They were sturdy but worn, with chipped wood finish and a missing drawer. An idea sparked in her mind: she could upcycle these nightstands into the taborets she needed!
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Transforming Nightstands into Functional Taborets
With excitement, Angeline purchased the nightstands for $15, a fraction of the cost of new taborets, and brought them back to her studio. She envisioning how to transform these humble pieces into functional and fun taborets. Angeline left the wood color alone, except for one nightstand. The top of this one she painted neutral gray to serve as her paint palette. Her husband Andy added caster wheels to the bottom of each nightstand, ensuring they could be moved around the studio with ease. To make them truly functional as taborets, she installed small recycled boxes inside the drawers as dividers, hooked plastic and metal tubs along the sides, and added a plexiglass top to the gray-painted one. Even the one with a missing drawer is being used for maximum storage space, holding rolled stencil material. As she finds stickers, she places these randomly on her easel taboret. The stickers are from refrigerator warnings, food labels, and stickers that she’s given and finds.
 
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The Final Touch: Bringing the Taborets to Life
As time passed, the nightstands transform before her eyes. The once tired and forgotten pieces of furniture are now fun and purposeful, ready to serve a new role in her creative process. Angeline felt a deep sense of satisfaction and pride in her handiwork. Finally, the day came to place the new taborets in the studio. Angeline positioned one next to the easel and the other next to her working table, just as she had imagined. They fit perfectly, both in size and style. The taborets added to the cheerful ambiance of the studio, and the newly installed shelves and drawers provided ample space for all her supplies.
 
A Studio Filled with Personal Touches and Practicality
Angeline stepped back and surveyed her work. The studio felt complete, infused with a blend of practicality and personal touch. Every time she reached for a brush or mixed a palette of colors, she felt a connection to the effort and creativity she had poured into the project. As Angeline painted, surrounded by her new taborets, she felt a deep sense of contentment, knowing that she had created not only beautiful art but also the perfect space to nurture her artistic dreams, with Andy’s help.
 
Subscribe for more creative DIY ideas, artist treasures and adventures, and art studio tips!
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PS: This blog post was inspired and crafted with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.
4o
 
PSS: The other titles I loved from ChatGPT was "From Nightstand to Taboret: One Artist's Furniture Fairy Tale" and "Painting with a Purpose: The Tale of Two Nightstands"

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  • Home
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