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pulling a collage paper print from a

pulling a collage paper print from a "gelliplate"

Collage papers being pulled

This was one of my favorite prints while making these collage papers! I figured out how to get the cracking effects that show all the layers of color like you see in this sheets. 



The original paintings are 10 by 7 inches. The pieces of collage papers were scraps from other projects. Those papers were happy gelliplate printing accidents. Trying to get the colors and accidents again was fun and challenging! 


This post shares some of the new collage papers I made using the gelliplate for the BIG paintings that are based on the small paintings. 


The BIG paintings are 100 cm by 70 cm, or ~39 inches by 27.5 inches. The US uses inches...while most of the globe uses centimeters...so definitely NOT 10 times the size of the original, lol! 

one page of gelliplate print

Using a gelliplate to make collage papers as unique as the scrap papers used in the small paintings for big

 original collage scraps close up by Angeline Marie Martinez

Close up of one of the original collage scraps used in the small original painting

set of print pulls collage papers

Every print from a gelliplate is a surprise

gelliplate printing assembly line by Angeline Marie Martinez

I use a few "gelliplates" at the same time to save some time.

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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!

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Angeline Marie Martinez

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

Picture

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! 



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Angeline Marie Martinez

drawing and painting artist

acrylics on canvas 4x4 inches by Angeline Marie Martinez

Open Toilet LOVES Toilet Paper: FLUSH IT! Thanks! acrylics on canvas 4x4 inches by Angeline Marie Martinez

What do you do with your used toilet paper? How do you dispose of it?
 
American Toilet Etiquette: Toss and Flush
In the USA, we wouldn’t even think about this. We just toss the used dirty toilet paper into the toilet and flush. Of course, the trash basket is for other things that shouldn’t be flushed, especially in the ladies’ restrooms. This is automatic behavior to us. No thought given. No fear of toilet pipe retribution and upchucking. Toss and flush, exit stall, wash hands, leave restroom.
 
Costa Rican Toilet Customs: Basket or Toilet?
In Costa Rica, what to do with your used dirty toilet paper is a question at every public restroom. Most restrooms want you toss your used dirty toilet paper into the trash basket. Most local businesses around Costa Rica have a sign asking to use the basket. The toilet will back up when it has too much toilet paper. You’ll find this basket usually full, bursting through required lid.
 
Some restrooms won’t have a sign at all. Assume that you use the basket. Toss into the toilet. Most places built in more recent times DO have the pipes to handle dirty toilet paper along with biological issues.
 
No sign means you’re excused from blame. If they had a sign, you’d do your best to follow it.
 
Navigating Signage (or Lack Thereof)
At someone’s home, it’s polite to ask. Every home is different. If it’s an older construction, assume that you use the basket. If it’s a newer construction, hmm, ask anyway. I dislike asking at the local businesses and my friends’ homes. Please, a sign would be great!
 
The Sign That Started It All
The sign that began this little collection of mostly digital works was at a friend’s home. Taped firmly above the toilet paper roll was a sign reading “PLEASE FLUSH YOUR DIRTY TOILET PAPER,” written with a blue ballpoint pen.
 
I’ve since run with these signs, making a small collection for those who want to basket or toilet.
 
I even made up these silly signs for all of our guest bathrooms. This avoids a yucky conversation and my later having to deal with taking out disgusting trash.
 
Surprising Customers: The Little Boys' Impact
So far, my best customers are little boys. LOL. The boys will see my sign from afar and have their parent buy one. The parents look at me, bewildered. I get thrilled they are buying art for their boys!
 
Available Sign Options for Every Need
Visit my Etsy page for more quirky bathroom décor. You can print at home!
 
If you’re visiting me in Costa Rica, you can buy a full-page laminated sign, with hanging tape, for $6. I’ll also have some 4-inch by 4-inch hand-painted signs, ready to hang, available for $15. I can ship these, too, if you'd like! 
Our Septic Tank LOVES Dirty Toilet Paper: FLUSH IT. with lots of little monsters underground, acrylics on canvas 4x4 inches by Angeline Marie Martinez

Our Septic Tank LOVES Dirty Toilet Paper: FLUSH IT. acrylics on canvas 4x4 inches by Angeline Marie Martinez

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Picture
Paint-palette-cover-held-down-by-rocks-studio-of-Angeline-Marie-Martinez
The rocks are not from my head, no matter how much

The beaches of Costa Rica have the most beautiful rocks. Most are smooth, many have some kind of design from the type of stone, and there are many sizes. I’ve picked a few the size of my fist or so to use in my art studio and art shows. I shine them up with paint because the design and colors look brighter when they are “wet.”


The 5 ways an artist can use rocks in Costa Rica are to hold

  1. down tablecloths, both fabric and plastic,
  2. paintings at an angle while painting on a flat table, like a make shift easel,
  3. paintings off the tablecloth while drying the final shine coats,
  4. the wet paint cover down to keep the paint I’m using wet,
  5. hold down my plastic palette sheet.
Picture
 Sometimes, the paint will stick to the plastic and peel off…costing me time repairing and repainting to fix unintended damages. The rocks help my paintings dry while holding the paintings off the plastic. 
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After many years of dreaming and working very hard a day job…Andy and I live in Costa Rica.

We’ve been here 10 months. 

We’ve enjoyed Pura Vida and Pura F!cking Vida. 

I’m living a daydream of teaching.

I’m living my bigger daydream of being an artist, full time.  

Yes. Me. A full time Artist. Teaching. 

I’ve always been a helper, a learner, a teacher, a dreamer, an Artist. 

I love showing someone how to do something they thought they couldn’t, wouldn’t, or can’t. 

I love the spark and smile that shows up on your face when “AHA! I GET IT! WOW! Look at me! I did That!”
I gave my first painting class to a group recently. 

I learned a lot. 

We had a lot of fun. 

A lot of paint was on our hands, but thankfully not on our clothing, lol. 

Every single sloth painting is so happily silly and friendly that these students will always be in my heart along with their sloths. 

Special thank you to Los Gatos Locos Bar and Restaurant for hosting these Paint Your Own Classes. Everyone enjoyed your margaritas, too! 
Angeline-Teaching-Sloth-Paint-Your-Own-Art-Class-Costa-Rica-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez-july2022

One of the artists snuck a photo of me, lol.

Artists-showing-off-sloths-Sloth-Paint-Your-Own-Art-Class-Costa-Rica-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez-july2022

Sloth paintings from left to right: Cuna Verde Sloth, Punk Sloth, Sloth in Flower Tree, Jungle Colors Sloth Hanging On, Sloth with Red Flowers


To see more photos from this class, please visit my website angelinemarie.net 

Do you want to spend a few hours of fun painting, without worrying about supplies, etc?

Do you want to join me in a Paint Your Own Class? 

I’d love to help you create your own painting with a Costa Rican theme! 

For more information, including how to reserve your canvas and seat, please visit my website by clicking here or this sentence
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When your watercolor pills turn runny wet

In a few posts before this one, I showed how my watercolor paints melted, some solutions (no puns intended!), and maybe what I’ve found. In the meantime, my sketchbooks are full of just line drawings and little color.
 

I could wait until our new home is built. When we will have air conditioning on low in my studio. A week indoors with air conditioning and then a few hours daily outside with me and all will be ok. 

I asked other artists in my Make Big Art Community and Kathy Whitehorn offered that I try Golden’s Qor Watercolor paints. I bought some in February and been using them since. 

What I like about Qor paint is that the binder seems to be synthetic. I don’t have to keep my paint in a Ziploc bag because it has no honey to attract ants. I tossed this paint kit in my purse and it’s been ok: no mess. I have to get used to the paint…it’s different colors, consistency, saturation, and feelings than my other kits. Yes, watercolors and any paints have a feeling, the way they apply to the paper…lol, to me.  

Next up is rainy season. Humidity ramps up about 10%...and every fabric from chair cushion to hung up clean tank top will feel damp no matter if inside or outside of the house. This will be the biggest test of my Qor watercolor paints. I filled up all the pans since I took this photo.

I think the paint will be just fine. I’ll check in with an update later this year, probably with a sketchbook page, lol! My sketchbook gets color, again!
Making-my-test-watercolor-kit-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez

Making my newest watercolor kit. Maybe this one will work and let me add color while away from home?

If you missed the previous posts about my melting watercolors, you can find them here:

Melting Watercolors Paint Make Them Stay Home 

How to Fix Melting Watercolors Paint.
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Last post, I showed how my watercolor paints melted.

Here’s what I’ve learned to get my watercolor paints dry:
  1. Use an oven at about 200 degrees. Why I won’t: we have no oven AND the plastic would melt. 
  2. Place in freezer or refrigerator. Why I won’t: condensation, lol. 
  3. Keep in Ziploc bag with reusable desiccant packs. Result: The desiccant packs need constant swapping. When I used the paint, the paint stayed damp. Damp paint and wet desiccant packs let the paint melt again. 
  4. Took the paint to Miami for air conditioning to dry them out. Result: This worked, but when we got home, it took a day to return to melted. 
  5. Keep paints in air conditioning or a dry room type of place. Result: I’ll never use the paints ever again. 
  6. Use something else. Result: Bulkier purse…which is why I began using watercolor in the first place. 
  7. Try different watercolor brands of paint. Result: I might have a winner, but rainy season will tell. If my new brand stays as “pills” during rainy season…but if not, I may try yet another brand. 
So. 

I’m not one to really give up on adding color to my sketchbooks. 

So. 

I’ve added color pencils. Dissatisfying between the sharpening and how much color it really adds compared to effort, but at least it’s color.

So. 

I guess I have little choice than to wait until our new home is built. When we will have air conditioning on low in my studio. A week indoors with air conditioning and then a few hours daily will be ok. 

So. 

I’ve asked other artists in my Make Big Art Community if they’ve had this problem. Artist Kathy Whitehorn offered that I try a particular paint brand. I’ll be trying it…but for now it’s dry season…and rainy season will be the real test. 
Being in dry season didn’t help the watercolor paint that’s already melted…as I just keep laughing!
watercolor-kit-intact-with-melted-paint.jpeg

When your watercolor pills turn into sticky caramel taffy, the watercolor paint stays home. I keep this kit and a few others inside a very well sealed Ziploc bag, flat, on a shelf. With this kit, I’m lucky it’s taffy caramel like…because my other kit’s paint turns into thick water and runs into the other pans.

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Andy and I used to live in humid in Miami, Florida. The average humidity in Miami is between 50ish% - 70ish% year-round, like in Ojochal, Costa Rica where are living. The HUGE difference is that Miami has air conditioning everywhere. In Costa Rica, air conditioning is rarely found or used, no matter how hot or rainy. Air conditioning acts as a dehumidifier as it allows the air to dry out. Since there’s no air conditioning…the air stays humid…and…

Andy and I are renting a house that has NO glass in the windows. The windows have a decorative and practical ironwork and screens. We have lots of fans to keep the air circulating in our home. The fans keep things dryer and us cooler: double win.  

The bad is that we also have a lot of humidity, no matter how many fans move the air around…so we use a lot of Ziploc bags to keep things as dry as possible. Sadly, many things stay damp…and there isn’t a way to dry them (no oven, no iron). One of these things are the watercolors that I loved to use with my sketchbooks. 
I learned that watercolors melt. The binder (glue), that holds the pigment (color) melts when the paint is kept in humid conditions. It takes just a couple of days for most of the colors to turn runny.  

I’m writing this not to complain but more to laugh. Laugh because no one ever mentions melting watercolor paints. I did Google this…and found only One artist writing about it.

In the meantime, my sketchbooks will only have blue or brown line drawings and little if any color. My next post will be how I can maybe fix my watercolor kits…maybe….
removing-seals-individual-watercolor-paint.jpeg

I opened this kit on Christmas Day as a treat. By New Year’s Eve, it was a taffy caramel mess. These are “pills” or “cakes” of watercolor paint. I’m sticking the individuals down to the bottom with a double sided foam.

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Once the paint goes on the canvas, the grid disappears. 

These cats are done in my “goofy cats” style, meaning I use collaged acrylics to draw them. 

So how do I use a grid when the original penciled in grid is gone? 

Using one of those quilting rules, I drew up grids with a permanent marker on cut down pieces of used laminating plastic sheets. I hold up my plastic grid to my painting and compare my painting to a digital photo with a grid on it. 

As I compare my painting to my digital photograph, it’s easier to fix lines and colors by flipping the plastic grid sheet on and off my painting. 
cat-digital-photo-with-grid-overlay-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez

I use the app Grid# to add a grid overlay to pet photos. I have to adjust columns and rows to the size of the canvas.

If you’d like to see some of the custom dog and cat paintings I’ve done, please visit my webpage about them. Click on these sentences to see and get a free eBook of how to work with me for your custom pet painting.
holding-clear-grid-against-painting-to-check-drawing-painting-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez

Holding my clear plastic grid against my cat painting in progress helps me check the drawing.

Read more about why I began cheating while painting custom pet paintings by clicking these previous blog posts: 

I Cheat When I Paint Pets

Using the Grid in My Painting Studio

Drawing, painting both analog and digital, and other artsy things while living in Costa Rica.

You can follow my blog the easiest by
adding your email to my list by going here. I keep that list secret because I don’t like spammers, too. You’ll even get things that I don’t share in my blogs!