Timeout for Art: Childlike Scribbles

Rough rough draft!

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

Guess Who?!

What Big Eyes You Have, Mister Mask!

Late-night dining light

These colorful masks are icons in the annual Inti-Raymi June Solstice Festivals in South America where the indigenous Indians mark the placement of the sun.  The sketch at the top of this post helped firm up details for a future painting, and I worked on the pencil drawings with uninhibited freedom last week as I waited for a meeting with immigration!  That night the colors were washed with equal spontaneity, and I am ready to move forward soon with the larger-than-life painting.  Although the rough sketch took very little time to complete,  the essence of the future painting is captured.

From 2012 scribble

Long ago I loved doodling with an Etch-a-Sketch, and now there’s an easy access for online doodling! SCRIBBLER!

I was not able to save my Scribbler drawing of the mask, but I’ll leave you with the reins to try some scribbles of your own. Knock off those bad-weather blues with uninhibited childlike scribbles and Have Fun!

http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/

Z

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Walking In Pilgrims’ Shoes – Cultural Immersion in Ecuador

Time flies, and it seems as if this post from last year was just written! I realize that, for me, Thanksgiving comes every day! Living in this ‘third world culture’ that never seems third world to me, I’m so lucky to have good health (most of the time!), the ability to find creative solutions to obstacles in my path, and to have a huge circle of friends that have become my extended family. Thank all of you, my blood family and my extended family, for helping me squeeze the most from each day, even if i repay your kindness and comments with silence! Your positive support and feedback illustrate the goodness in fellow man, and you illustrate hope for a better tomorrow for our world! I am blessed, thanks to all of you!

I’m writing from a restaurant, but there’s a strong chance that my internet problems at the riverhouse are about to improve!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, even if your country doesn’t celebrate this USA holiday! Z

Zeebra Designs & Destinations

Pilgrim:  A wanderer, a traveler, a stranger.   Someone who travels a great distance in strange lands to a holy shrine or site. A  person traveling to a place of particular personal interest...

Ecuador captured my heart years ago, and there is an emotional comfort here that is a balm to my soul.  Like the pilgrims that arrived on the Mayflower, I have experienced times of great joy and also faced personal challenges.   Through the good and the bad, I have learned to respect the unselfish displays of love that I receive from the locals.   There have been times when someone stops me, “Gringa! Gringa!” and then hands me a plantain or a piece of peanut candy.   Other times I hear, “Gringita!” and they might share a handful of mandarin oranges or a stick of frozen yogurt!   They all enjoy practicing their English.. “One, two…

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Contemplation – Frogs and Turtles!

Tags

Daily Challenge Contemplation, Daily Post Boldly, Sea Turtle Conservation

Chess Mates

The Daily Prompt rolled through, and while tapping into a fast internet signal, I am pleased to share this post that illustrates contemplation.

Raul, of Hostal Cruzita, takes time out to mentor a future chess master!

I remain impressed that many Ecuadorians practice the art of contemplation through the game of chess, and they take time to mentor the younger generation.

The children of Playa San Miguel Costa Rica often contemplate the mysteries of their marine ecosystem.  I will always treasure the memories of the day an olive ridley sea turtle came ashore in the daytime to lay her eggs.

Hopefully these children will grow up and help fight for nature’s rights.

* Thanks to those who are actively helping (via easy pain-free voting!) the turtles catch up with the frogs; the frogs and turtles are swimming, crawling and leaping towards a $20,000 prize!  Some out-of-the USA people hit a stumbling block with the zip code requirement.  One found a way around the problem by using her sister’s USA zip code.   “Save the Frogs” remains in first place, but let’s help those endangered turtles come from behind and win in the final stretch!

http://www.sungevity.org/gives-back  

(Please vote for the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative )

Thanks for spreading the word!  Z

Where Have All The Turtles Gone?

Tags

Conservation of sea turtles, Hawksback turtles, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

“Lisa, she’s going to get you!’ (Getting sand in my face and in the camera was worth it; well except that my camera still reminds me of my sin)

I first met Ingrid Yañez at Playa San Miguel Costa Rica when she was in charge of the sea turtle project for Pretoma, an organization dedicated to protecting sharks and sea turtles.   After few years later,  work took her elsewhere, but we have stayed in touch.  I sometimes lob updates to her about my sea turtle encounters, and she shares news about her efforts (with her husband Alex Gaos) in saving the rapidly-declining populations of sea turtles.  They are presently working diligently in conservation for the highly-endangered hawksbill turtles. (ICAPO)

Their enthusiasm is infectious about recent discoveries: “Prior to 2007 hawksbills were thought to be essentially extinct in the eastern Pacific…they have been documented using cryptic nesting sites, often located inside estuaries, where they come ashore behind stands of mangroves to deposit their eggs.  They also use these in-land mangrove waterways to forage. “

Eureka! Mangroves?!!! Could that have been one of the last few hundred hawksbill turtles in front of the house yesterday?

Before Taking that Second Helping

Tags

Helping Typhoon Victims, Philippines Relief Fund, relief box typhoon yolanda, Remembering others, This Man's Journey, Typhoon Haiyan, typhoon yolanda

Marie’s Papaya Bread – Yum!

Halloween and All Soul’s Day whet our appetites for the upcoming holidays.  The variety of foods makes it easy to nibble our way to the end of the year.  “Just one more slice of that pie or cake… twist my arm for some of that buttermilk fudge!”

We enjoy leftovers and find creative ways to extend the feast.   The amount spent on sweets alone — well, that’s where my thoughts linger this week.  When we’re aware of our diets, we hesitate slightly before enjoying that morsel or using self discipline, but how often do we think of others who are not so fortunate – those who are hungry?

A very dear WordPress friend lives in Houston Texas, but his heart is still firmly rooted to his native country, the Philippines.  Please read his posts – and if possible – trade the token amount you might spend on sweets or alcohol – or even coffee – and contribute to his fundraising efforts.

Here are a few blurbs from his updates:

“My mom told me that part of our roof was blown off and it’s flooding inside the house. She’s been having a hard time sleeping at night because of fear that someone will enter our house to steal or harm them. People are hungry. Looting and stealing are starting to rise. I know theft is wrong but I can’t blame them for their desperation. Government Aid in Capiz did not come timely to many especially in isolated rural areas. Children are crying cold and starving at night. Electricity will be down for about 3 months. “

From Island Traveler/This Man’s Journey

“I saw this picture in my relative’s Facebook page several times. It thought it was somebody’s backyard. Then this morning, I thought, “That fallen star and Capiz shells around the Mango tree looked so familiar. It was the very tree that used to stand beautifully in front of our family balcony…”

In the post that followed, he asks with sensitivity, “For all my WordPress family who wish to help provide a roof for the many homeless and orphaned by Typhoon Haiyan here’s my link Team ShelterBox Campaign – Support Flash Barny.”

How well I identified with his posts, as I had experienced feelings of helplessness while waiting to hear news after a storm had passed.  I tapped into memories of Hurricane Katrina and remembered my grief when I first viewed live television coverage of the desecration. (Ode to 668 Each Beach)

Before spending holiday dollars on sundry tokens, tinsel and trinkets, help our fellow man, woman and child.    Please help Island Traveler/This Man’s Journey clear his goal of $270.00! at Shelter Box:  http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1079124&supId=395712874&extSiteType=1

Here are two of his posts about the typhoon:

Typhoon-haiyan-a-k-a-yolanda-update-on-capiz/

Layers of Legos for Layers of Hope

Please have empathy for those who are truly hungry and homeless.  Thanks for helping if you can!  Z

 

TOTALLY Unexpected!

Tags

Sea Turtles in Ecuador, Wordpress Weekly Challenge Unexpected

Marking the sun’s placement on the wall

So this morning before going downstairs to resume work on the compass, I took my paints to the balcony to splash more colors of the sunset on the wall.  Never in my five years (on this river) have I seen this giant of the sea swimming in front of the house, but there it was – bobbing as if to ask, “What took you so long to see me?!”

Unexpected

Tags

Dangerous tides, Playa San Miguel, strong waves, surprises, Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected, wordpress

This one almost got me!

Playa San Miguel Costa Rica —  Every so often Mother Ocean flexes her muscles and reminds us of how small we really are!  These high tides barreled up the beach, through the palms and scattered this group of wave watchers!

Layers of Palm Thatch!

Tags

a palm thatch roof, how to build a palm thatch roof, Weekly photo challenge Layers

From a cybercafe, I am tapping into the archives for images that show the evolution of a palm-thatched structure.     This particular “ramada” adds much-needed shade from the equatorial sun, and it also provides shelter from the rain and mud during the rainy season.

Timeout for Art: Desire vs. Talent

Tags

Painting butterflies, painting flowers, Timeout for Art

What is real and what is paint?

Without underestimating the value of talent, it’s not the most important attribute you need to become a successful artist. It’s not even second. More important than talent is desire. (Harley Brown)

Drawing or painting in the outdoors challenges us to shift gears, absorb what’s in front of us and try to decide what to include and what to omit. One can find many excuses to procrastinate – the weather’s too hot, too cold or too windy. Perhaps there’s no good place to sit, or you’re an insect magnet!

Guayava tree – (Guava)

If you don’t make an effort to start, you’ve forfeited the potential for growth as an artist! There’s a slight chance that your efforts are going to look horrid, and if so, call them exercises and toss them in the trash! There’s a great chance that you’ll be very pleased with the results, and you’ll wonder what took you so long to sharpen that pencil!

A few weeks ago I taped my watercolor paper to a board, gathered my supplies and journeyed into the garden.

Timeout to Say, “Thanks, Everyone!”

Tags

daily post wordpress events, painting concrete floors, painting t-shirts, patience and thanks!, Timeout for Art, what paint to use for painting t-shirts

Two days of hard work equals amazing progress!

Thanks to all of you who have commented and given support over the past few months while I’ve been offline more than online.  You’ve endured way too many slices of (my) silence, although I think/hope that I’ve read and appreciated most of the comments.   (When in town, I load the pages during lunch at a restaurant with wifi, and I enjoy reading the comments offline at night!)

Silvana did a great job on this t-shirt, don’t you agree?!

Several people asked about the paint used on the t-shirt;  have you ever soiled your jeans when rolling latex (water-based) house paint on a wall?  The paint rarely washes out of clothing – years later those drips and dribbles still hang tight – so why not use that same type of paint for decorative projects?  

Timeout for Art -An Insect’s View

Tags

An Insect's View, details in nature, Large beautiful moth in costa rica, Large beautiful moth in Ecuador, Painting butterflies and moths in watercolor, Painting Flowers in Watercolor, silkmoth, Timeout for Art

(Detail of an oversized bookmark for a friend who left for an extended visit to the UK.)

“Nature will bear the closest inspection.  She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”  – Henry David Thoreau

One of September’s Timeout for Art posts (Find the Pot of Gold) tapped into the above quote, and hopefully many of you were able to “slow down and inspect what’s lurking nearby.”

This past week presented many opportunities to take an insect’s view of nature, and I never regret time spent at eye level and absorbing those details.