El Sabor de Guanacaste Festival

Last Friday, July 25, my girl Lydia and I attended a local art festival named El Sabor de Guanacaste (The Flavor of Guanacaste) in Flamingo Beach.  Guanacaste is the province of Costa Rica that I live in and July 25 is Guanacaste Day, celebrating the independence of the zone from Nicaragua - making it a part of Costa Rica in 1824. 

We've attended a handful of fairs in Flamingo over the past few years, but honestly, they've always been a little disappointing.  There was always very little foot traffic or community/tourist interest.   So when we heard about this one, initially we were kinda' on the fence as to whether or not we wanted to close our shops for the day and head over there.  In the past, it just hasn't been worth it.  However, after a few conversations with one of the organizers, Raquel (who we would soon discover was on her "A" game), we decided that the event seemed like it would be well promoted and attended.  We really liked the fact that there would be live music and that there were a decent amount of confirmed artists.  

The space that the artists were in was a covered patio with lots of natural light and fresh air.  (Although it was like a 100000 degrees that day so even the breezy air felt like you were standing in front of an open oven!)  The day started with a parade with kids from the local schools, some dressed up in traditional clothing, others marching in a band that pounded out a beat that made even the least rhythmic person want to move.  

Right after the parade, people started milling around and soon after, the bands started to perform.  There was a good turnout -- lots of locals and tourists, which is always a nice mix.

The Lovely Ms. Lydia 

My table

Traditional Chorotega/Guaitil Pottery from Jesus and Susan 

Paintings by Jose Jackson

I love photography.  It's one of my favorite art forms, so I really enjoyed the photography by photographer Royden Alvaro.  His photographs tell stories of life in Guanacaste.  Fiestas, bull riding, borrachos (drunks) dancing in the street, really capturing the moment.  You gotta check out his website and see his photos from Costa Rica, Cuba and the rest of his portfolio.

Of course, I have to include at least one photo of a dog!! :)

A staple of culinary culture here in Guanacaste is corn tortillas so of course there were ladies making them from scratch and cooking them over a wood fire.  If you've never had tortillas fresh off the griddle, you've missed out on one of life's finest pleasures.

The music was awesome.  A great mix of electronic, traditional, rock and reggae bands.  Tamarindo's own Glass Eye performed.   These guys rock.

One of the big things of this festival was the different workshops available for the kids to participate in.  Lydia hostessed a painting class and I hostessed a beading class.  It's always fun to see what the kids come up with when left to their own creative devices.

My Beading Class

Lyd's painting class.

What kid doesn't like drawing on the cement with chalk. Heck, I still like to draw on the cement!!

In the late afternoon, a traditional dance troupe named Colpachi performed.  Being from the States, one thing I really love here is seeing young people enjoying their rich heritage.  In the States, we just don't have any thing traditional like folk dancing, so seeing "kids" immersed in their traditions that have been handed down over and over, is something that I always love to watch.

The festival lasted until much later, but we left for home and cold showers (!!!) around 5ish.  I think I speak for us both that we were glad that we went.  It was fun, productive, entertaining, and best of all we got to spend the day together.  Awwwww.

Look Book Photo Shoot

In May I completed my 6th year in the shop (yippeeee!!).  I've been wanting to put together a Look Book -- pairing up my jewels along with some great clothing.   It's been a long time since I actually did a photo shoot (other than Etsy listings).  The last one was in Downtown LA in mid-2008....

I love DTLA!!  All the graffitti walls and murals.  I love it.

It's amazing to think how much my life has changed in just a few years.  I've gone from living downtown in one of the biggest cities in the world, to living in a super small beach town in Central America.  In that last round of pictures, I never would have imagined that I'd be where I am now with the shop and all the great opportunities that have come along with it.  

I started thinking about what I'd like to photograph and how.  Over the past 3 or so years, my jewelry line has kinda' morphed into two distinct looks and lines.  I have the big chunky pieces that were what started my jewelry line.

But in addition to that, I've been working with a lot of sheet metal, creating cuffs, and geometric necklaces, earrings and rings.  Lots of layering and mixing metals.  

I decided that the first (of more to come) photos would be of the sheet metal jewelry because for the past few months, that's been where I've felt most inspired.  Plus, it seems to reflect more of the style that I'm wearing these days.

I hit up my friend Hollie, a beautiful graphic and clothing designer who visits Costa Rica with enough frequency that it's difficult not to consider her a part time resident.  I ran a few ideas by her and asked if she might be interested in being my model on her next trip here.  I don't even know that she heard what I wanted to do - I'm pretty sure all she heard was "come to Costa Rica" and lickey-split she was booking her ticket.  Don't gotta' twist her arm to come here!!

She showed up with two suitcases full of great clothing that went p-e-r-f-e-c-t with what I wanted to photograph.  God I love that girl!  It was awesome to see the clothing come together with the jewelry exactly how I had envisioned.  I couldn't have picked a better wardrobe even if I had gone out and purchased it myself.

We got super duper lucky because she ended up house sitting for a friend who was nice enough to allow us to use his space for the pics.  Lots of white walls and natural light.  Also an awesome Keith Herring mural that the talented Ms. Hollie painted on one of her prior trips.  ((sigh))....this girl.  

We rang up our friend Emily who arrived with her usual spunky attitude and the show began.  Total we took about 500 pictures over the next 3.5 hours. 

The ladies worked it, we laughed, goofed off and the on-site doggie guard, Rai, flirted and supervised.  I think he liked seeing all the half naked ladies running around.  Boys!!!    

After reviewing the pics and now slowly going through them and editing, I gotta' say, they turned out better than I ever could have hoped for.  These chicas did a great job!  I'm slowly going through them, posting them on Etsy, Instagram and Facebook.

But here's a peek at a few of my faves....

Ms. Emily

Ms. Hollie looking like a doll.

I mean really Rai!!

I'll be continuing to post over the coming weeks.  Also, in August Hollie will be back again (like I said -- frequent visitor!) and we hope to do another round - beach front.  

Artist Interview: Sean January

I'm so lucky to have so many amazing, artistic people in my life.  My best friend Miranda and her fiancé, Sean, have been together for close to ten years.  During this time,  I’ve observed Sean’s art become bigger (literally!) and better, more eye catching and unique.  What started out as spray painted space paintings has grown into visually stunning layered works of art.  Think space travel  - meets street art - meets glitter!! 

I’ve always known Sean to be a deep thinker, a philosopher of sorts, constantly pondering life’s biggest questions and mysteries.  I was really blow away by one of his pieces featuring Jimmy Hendrix and I decided to chat a bit with him to find out a bit more about his creative process. 
Have you always been the creative artsy type?

Yes, I've always been artistic.  As a child I had a fetish for drawing old antique cars, carriages and then as I got a bit older, I moved on to drawing elaborate forests with detailed trees, old rickety barns dilapidated with rotten wood, and old nail holes.  Even a rusty old barb wire fence.   Due to socialism and video games my art was put aside and not practiced for years.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I’m basically an artist that is learning how to incorporate sacred geometry, spirituality, shamanism, quantum mechanics, and glitter (bling!) to attract viewers into asking why is it beautiful?  What does it mean?  And perhaps enlightening them to see how most are controlled by ego on a daily basis and that it's been a plan for many, many centuries.

Can you describe the process you use from start to finish and how long it takes?

I draw my image on polished wood and then I start in the center working my way around and outward by painting the first area of a color, then with glue I sprinkle glitter on that perfectly tight area.  After drying I can match up closely the next patch of glue and glitter and so on.  Staying within the lines is crucial to having a perfect piece.  The glitter soaks deep into the glue and the glue soaks into the wood creating a concrete like effect.  A casual brushing with a hand brush allows all the lose top flakes of glitter to come off so only the strong embedded flakes of glitter are left.  Depending on size and detail, a painting can take weeks.  Lately I’ve been trying to use just paint and no glitter which is obviously faster but no bling. 

What influenced you to start the type of paintings that define your work now?

Whew!  Well, there were a number of factors that really influenced me.  The not-so-short answer is I went back to school for environmental science around 2007/2008.  I learned about space and the cosmos - one of the few topics I find absolutely amazing – and started painting them.  However, space paintings got old.  I didn’t feel that they expressed the feeling that I knew I had inside that I wanted to express, something really big.  What?  I wasn't even sure of yet.  However, I felt that truth was a big part of it.  To paint something that impressed the viewer with truth(s) that perhaps had fallen to the way side of the everyday average person.

Then I took an environmental class where I learned about researching corporation degradation on the environment and even humanity.  I started digging further back into history, found lots of suppressed history, connected the dots and saw a crazy pattern.  For example, every ancient civilization from different continents and time eras all knew many valuable facts of nature and the cosmos.  They knew all the planets, yet we just found Pluto in the 30's.  So where and when did the knowledge fall off from humans?

One of my favorite heroes Galileo Gallilee studied for years Capornicus' idea which stated that we were not the center of the universe but that we evolve around the sun, contradicting the Church who said that the Earth was the center of everything and everything revolved around us. The Church threatened to kill Galileo if he perpetuated this notion to the masses because it would cause the Church to lose control of them.

It got me thinking, if truth was suppressed back then, what things are being suppressed in today's world?  Hint --- 9/11, vaccinations, geoengineering, big pharmacy, secret societies, alien contact with several elitists.  The list goes on.  I think people are starting to question things in a way they never did.  They are waking up.  It’s a heavy subject and most don't want to believe or even discuss it. The average human resists change and so to change their entire view of life and purpose is too heavy.  Cognitive dissonance is the correct term.

So how does one keep moving forward with seeking truth but not get overwhelmed with fear, being ostracized by friends and family who don’t care or think you’re crazy?  Plato said it best, "those that are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood let alone, believed by the masses."  Boy is this true.

I stumbled upon an image that was found on every continent and every civilization 1000's of years apart.  This image was etched into granite with laser precision unexplainable by today's scientists.  This image is known as the "flower of life".  Ureka!!!  This was the epiphany I needed.  Classified as sacred geometry because this flower and otherworldly information was not created by man.  However, it was a message to man but from who?  God?  Aliens?  A Devine creator was giving the answers in this image. Everything we know in this 3D realm we live in is in the flower of life.

The flower of life/sacred geometry is actuality in the blue prints of everything we can see, feel, and touch. The flower of life contains Metatrons cube, which also precisely contains all the 5 platonic solids which make up everything in the material world.  At this point I feel I've stumbled on a huge piece of suppressed truth that was once only shared with monks, masons, secret societies, but was intentionally leaked to the 

masses as a desperate attempt to allow humanity to gain back its’ spirituality. 

Are you always working on something or do you go through creative spurts?

I do paintings in spurts.  Life tugs on every part of me between work, family, etc.  After a while the hunger to create is present but the energy around me must be at least neutral in order to look into myself for what it is I'm supposed to paint. I may see an image or imagine combining several images to make a whole different image for painting.  The weather also factors in.  If it’s too cold or hot, my glue is either too thick to work with properly or thin from the heat and the water starts to separate from the glue.  My paintings are big, and bigger is better because the glitter is hypnotizing but too small it will look like a child's project or something grandma whipped up.  

What are you currently working on?

I just finished a 30x40 canvas (rare) of a Torus in orange, blue, white and black.  The image is like the inside of a hollow donut.  Look at it for a second only and it starts to spin.  Our earth's electromagnetic field which protects us from the Sun’s harsh solar flares is this shape.  Our hearts pump blood in this very same pattern, up the middle out over the curves, around the sides and under to repeat itself.   This painting was on canvas and used paint pens (fun)! 

Do you sell/display your work?

I've publicly displayed my art for a few months as a once a month art walk.  Sold 3 or 4 pieces but the time and costs of transporting a dozen pieces ranging from 2x4 to 4x4 in a U-haul was breaking even.  So I chalk it up to exposure and experience with talking to people as I have here today. 

Is there anything you want to make that you haven’t yet?

Bigger pieces for hotels, clubs, restaurants or anywhere there's a lot of traffic.  To be able to have enough paintings requested in order to be a full time artist or at least need to work less.

To contact Sean re what he currently has for sale or for commission pieces, he can be reached at Charlesseanjanuary@gmail.com

Instagram

When I worked in an office and was in front of the computer 24/7, I feel that I was a lot more tech savvy than I am these days.  I was definitely quicker to jump on the band wagon with new programs, gadgets and social media.  

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Facebook.  I have a page for my jewelry and shop, but I don't have a personal page at all.  I can see all the benefits of staying in touch with people and getting a bird's eye view of what they're up to, but I have gripes with FB as a company.  But, over the years what I've quickly learned is that if you're not using FB to keep up with everyone, you may as well be invisible. Since moving to Costa Rica 6+ years ago, I've lost touch with many a person.  Booo-hoo.

After some urging from a few friends, I decided to start using Instagram.  I'm happy to report, that I really like it!  I know, I know, I'm like crawling out of a cave in the dark ages!!  ((Shrugging)) -- what can I say?

It's really nudged me to document the creation process of what I make, something I haven't really done.  Until lately, I've only photographed the finished product.  It's fun for me see in photos the progression of a piece - and even more fun to share that process.

A sheet metal earring production in process.

It's inspired me to open up the doors of my studio space.

Painting the spiral background on my shop wall.

Manchita, the best shop assistant ever.

It's also been fun to give a glimpse at what life is like living here in Costa Rica.

Bull Ring at a local fiesta

Cow crossing.

Anyhow, I'm slowly catchin' up to everyone else.  Better late than never!

Artist Interview: Bonita Chica Arte

I first met Laura Ramirez in the late 90's.  We were both single moms with young daughters, living a crazy busy life in LA.  We immediately hit it off.  She was the kind of girlfriend every gal wants, with a wicked sense of humor, outgoing, a great story teller (especially over pitchers of margaritas!) and with the just the right amount of crazy all mixed in.

Over the years our lives took us a little further (in distance) from each other.  First to different cities, then counties and ultimately to different countries when I moved to Costa Rica in 2008.   After I moved, we didn't lose touch per se, but we definitely didn't have the opportunity for wine and cheese night, or long phone conversations, so we did what most long distance friends do, we checked in with each other via e-mail and did our best to keep up.  

A few years ago, Laura (who I had always known to be a corporate worker bee) started posting these amazing creations on her FB page.  She was making gorgeous Dia de Los Muertos paintings and mixed media pieces that really blew me away.  I didn't know she had an artsy-fartsy side to add to her arsenal of talents.  This made her an even more kick ass girl than I even knew!

I've watched her art grow and become more precise and more creative.  Her art is colorful, cultural, but also very playful - just like her.  Since I missed out on this transformation of my friend, I was curious to find out more about how she came to discover this new part of herself.  I shot her an e-mail and asked a few questions and learned a lot about her.  Just when you think you know someone.....

You only recently started feeding your inner artist.  Tell me a little bit about the beginning of Bonita Chica Arte.  What influenced you to start creating your Dia de Los Muertos creations?

Ever since I can remember, I loved art and drawing.  I remember being in elementary school and creating large landscape full city drawings.  As the years moved on, I became more social and did not find any pleasure in being indoors drawing.  Then work and responsibilities came into play as well.  No longer could I imagine or create anything.  However, a couple of years ago I started to attend Art and Craft Shows.  I wasn't consciously looking for art, but somehow something guided me to view the beauty of handmade crafts and art.  It took a few months of traveling and viewing these shows, where my imagination started to work and see.  It was as if the creative side never left my side, but somehow was dormant.  I had said for years, "I'm not creative, I used to be, but not anymore".  The waves of creativity started to come and it grew and grew, the more I viewed art the more I saw what I could do.  

A whole new sense was born once again, a new fresh look on everything around me.  Everything around me became alive and had a purpose.  I then made the move to actually buy a paint brush and paint.  So one day I'm sitting at my table, the thoughts, the imagination growing overflowing too quickly for me to put down on paper, to draw, to paint.  I had to get my thoughts together, I had to focus and have a direction.  I began to ask myself, who am I?  where do I come from? where will I be?  what do I want people to know?  what do I want people to see?  what moves me?  what hurts me?  who do I miss?  And that's when I thought of my Dad who had past in 2002.  Although it made me sad, he was such a happy man, such a fun life he lived.  I imagined him looking down at me and saying, "Gabby (my childhood name) you can do anything you set your mind to".  That's when I decided I want to pay homage to the dead, and what better way than Dia de Los Muertos which depicts the dead living, loving, happy, dancing as if they never left our side.  Not only was this the perfect theme, but it originates from my own Latino Culture.  So I was able to combine both my heritage and love.

How would you describe the pieces you make?

They all stand for love, life, happiness, and faith.  Dia De Los Muertos is a holiday celebrated in Mexico as a holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called honoring the deceased with their favorite food, drinks, and items.  Each piece is a celebration of a person or even an animal who has past, who is still living, laughing, and loving in the afterlife.  It's a representation, although they're gone, they're not far from us.  I try to incorporate nature as well, either trees, or butterflies within my paintings, as I believe we are all connected with nature and life.

What inspires you to start a new piece and what is the process from start to finish?

It's an interesting process, it's not visually inspired.  Each of my pieces start with a poem, I'm also a creative writer, which I haven't paid much attention to in a very long time.  However, for my pieces each one starts with me thinking of a sentence, then I finish the sentence with a poem, when I finish the poem I see the painting in my mind.  I write the poems behind each of my finished pieces.  So if anyone buys one, if they turn the painting, they will read what actually inspired the painting. 

The following is something I wrote before I did a painting.

We are all seeking answers, we strive to hear what we want,

we lust for answers,

when all we need is time,

time to live, time to breath, and time to believe. 

Stop searching, and begin your journey.

After I wrote this, I came up with the Fortune Teller painting.  It's a woman skeleton with long black hair who is at a table reading fortune teller cards. 

Are you always working on different pieces or do you go through creative spurts?

My creativity starts and it opens one door, then another and another and another, it's infinite.  I don't like working on different pieces, as each work I create is full of different thoughts and visions.  I like to give each piece it's time to come to life.

Have you encountered any obsticles in your creative process?

YES!  In Feb 2013, one of my dogs past away and ever since that date I haven't painted.  I can't say it's definitely the reason why I haven't painted.  The truth is, I don't know why I stopped all I know is after that day, I stopped. It's hard to explain, I have ideas and I want to paint, but I don't pick up a brush.  Right after my dog past, I wanted to pay homage to her, and started a painting [I'll email you a pic of the sketch].  I was emotionally drained after I sketched it, as it was a reminder of the pain I felt of losing her.  I didn't finish it, I haven't painted it.  Maybe part of my stand still is that I can't move forward until I finish her painting.  I'm not sure, however, a couple of weeks ago I made myself start a small painting.  I think it's been a long enough time to start painting again.  Although it feels good to have a brush in my hand, I can't help feeling guilty that I haven't finished her painting.

Is there anything that you want to make that you haven't made yet?

I would love to create a huge painting, a Dia de Los Muertos theme of past lives at a party laughing and dancing.

Where do you currently sell/display your work?

I currently display my Art on my Instagram page; bonitachica_arte.