Timeout for Art – “Believe in Yourself”

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believe in yourself, painting watercolors of nature

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” Nikos Kazantzakis

Every so often Life presents tiny-yet-humbling gifts as if orchestrated strictly for my benefit. Sometimes it’s a mystical interaction with a bird – like when the pelican swam across the river, walked up the boulders where I was sitting – and gaped at me from about a meter away. Then it returned to the rio, swam back to the other side and joined its companions. Did they dare that pelican to interact with the human who fought to save their habitat?

A very long time ago in Louisiana, while making a farm-road detour around a fierce thunderstorm, I approached a rainbow not far from the malevolent clouds.  The left side of the rainbow grew closer and closer and almost touched the car.  Navigating an ‘S- curve’ very slowly, I noted that the rainbow came through the driver’s window – I was dumbfounded and full of bliss – driving slowly, trying to comprehend this rainbow in my lap while approaching another curve. As I turned slowly to the right, the other side of the rainbow came through the passenger window!  There I was with the left side of the rainbow in the driver’s window, and the right side streaming through the passenger side!

A very-subtle rainbow last month at Poza Honda Ecuador

Trying to comprehend this unexpected gift, I exclaimed to the rainbow, to the entire universe, “Thank you thank you thank you” and pondered that no one would ever believe me if I shared what happened! I still marvel and wonder about the science that allowed that ‘just-for-me gift.’  When I emerged from the curve to the straight road, the rainbow stayed behind. Next was the intense rain – and ten or so minutes later, I was home.  The magic was gone, but never forgotten.

Other gifts are not so dramatic, but they leave behind an imprint of gratitude. My neighbor Melissa, with her natural aptitude for drawing and painting, showed me some of her latest work. It speaks for itself – and for her:

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The Lovely Masked Water-Tyrant

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Ecuador art, Masked Water Tyrant, One Bird At A Time, poza honda ecuador, Watercolor of birds

Masked Water-Tyrant – Fluvicola nengeta

“I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could. ” John James Audubon

Poza Honda Ecuador – These highly-active and perpetually-happy Masked Water-Tyrants served as good-will ambassadors in every location I’ve lived in Ecuador.  Attired year ’round in crisp white and black/brown, they chirp, chatter, dance and build nests – always near the water.   At Casa Loca along Rio Jama, they foraged along the mud flats at low tide;  in Mindo they nested in locations just above the water, and now at Poza Honda they thrive in an ever-changing playground of water hyacinths.

While I worked on the Common Tody Flycatcher study, the Water-Tyrants tolerated my presence;  ignoring the artist, they frolicked and provided ample poses for my growing collection of photos.      Painting these birds would be challenging yet rewarding.

Masked Water Tyrants – Watercolor in progress by Lisa Brunetti

Working at night from reference photos, I also worked during the day by the water’s edge.    The bi-polar moods of the weather often sent me scampering up the hill to protect the painting!

Just as I began the watercolor wash, the skies began to baptize the painting!

Within a week, water levels leaped to maximum levels, which brought those handsome birds (and the invasive water hyacinths) closer and closer to the human’s turf.  They provided a grand assortment of poses – as if to benefit no one except the human that studied them! 

Trust vs Self Doubt

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painting birds in watercolor, poza honda ecuador, self doubt, smooth-billed anis ecuador, southern house wren ecuador, watercolor art of ecuador birds

Smooth-billed Ani in Calabash Tree – Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador

“… If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you – and make allowance for their doubting too…” from the poem If by Rudyard Kipling (for the complete poem go HERE)

Self doubt can sabotage one’s concentration. How well I remember standing at the free-throw line and hoping that I would not miss the final shot for a Jr.-high basketball game.  Aware of my teammates, of the coach, of offensive/defensive choices if the ball missed the basket, of the next team waiting for the buzzer and warm ups; I also considered the home-town fans and strangers in the packed gym. Would my team win, would we lose, or would we go into overtime? The possibilities provided many distractions for an inexperienced young-teen! * That moment taught me an important life lesson: block out the conflicting variables and focus on the goal.

The same self doubt inflicts the creative process. When I painted the watercolor study of Smooth-billed Anis, I used an ultra-smooth Bristol Board which is very unforgiving. Once applied, the dark pigments required for the Anis could not be lifted without staining(ruining?) the paper.

Smooth-billed Anis – Watercolor in progress (Black and white image)

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” Elbert Hubbard

Quite social and affectionate with each other, Anis stay in family clusters. Sometimes while foraging they are scattered but remain in sight of one another; they also huddle – and even cuddle – during periods of rest.  The Smooth-billed and the Groove-billed Anis prepared a little slide show introduction:

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Painting just one bird would not illustrate the true behavior of the flock.

The painting advanced one bird at a time, and with each bird – self doubt peered over my shoulder and whispered, “Are you sure you want to add another bird? What if you make a mistake? The painting might be ruined.”

“Lisa, Are You OK?”

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Friendship, lluvia 2019 manabi, poza honda manabi ecuador, Timeout for Art

Neotropic Cormorants /Poza Honda/Ecuador

“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.” ~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927

Our friend Hugh Curtler wrote this week about Friendship, a post worth pondering.  Reading off line, I wrote a reply to send when on line (now) but circumstances  dictate responding via a just-received example of friendship.

In my unhurried off-line reply, I mentioned one dear friend who emails about twice a month.  She always asks, “Lisa, How are you?  How’s your back?   Do you need anything?   Are you OK?”

Dady inspecting the Squirrel Cuckoo watercolor at Museo Portoviejo

This past Tuesday I dropped a music CD at her house after visiting the nearby Portoviejo Museo.  Stocked with ‘survival’ groceries in case the heavy rains provoked more mud slides, I needed to get home before dark.

At sunset I photographed the reservoir, which lacked about a sneeze worth’s of water to send the excess over the spillway.

That night and last night we received more heavy rains.     The waters now reach the high-water level, and the surplus is surely generating enough electricity to illuminate the planet!

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Water hyacinths cascade over the spillway, and chocolate-colored water marks the beginning of Rio Portoviejo.  After taking photos, I drove to Ayacucho to make progress on neglected cyber tasks.

Waiting in the inbox was an email from my friend Dady.  The subject read “Lisa Are You OK?”

“Hmmm,” I thought, “she must know more about something than I!”

One Bird at a Time

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audubon, birds of ecuador, Lisa Brunetti art, Watercolors of birds

“April 10, 1824. I was introduced to the son of Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, a great ornithologist, I was told. He remained two hours, went out, and returned with two Italian gentlemen, and their comments made me very contented.” That evening he was taken to the Philosophical Academy[32] where the drawings were greatly admired…” –  (from AUDUBON AND HIS JOURNALS – 1897)

Ecuador – The Museo Portoviejo exposition nears the end and presents a new challenge; what will I do with all of these children?!!!!

For a last-minute tour, here’s a slideshow:

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Alas, nature beckons and prompts me to continue, so I observe – and I paint!  Unlike Audubon, I have an advantage of a camera – but with most every study I wish to have a live (or preserved) bird for more-precise reference material.

“July 19th (1824) – Young Harris, God bless him, looked at the drawings I had for sale, and said he would take them all, at my prices. I would have kissed him, but that it is not the custom in this icy city.” (Audubon and His Journals)

The Gift of Sight

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Common Tody Flycatcher, Ecuador Jan 2019, Manabi Province, Watercolors of birds

“After I’d drawn the grasses, I started seeing them. Whereas if you’d just photographed them, you wouldn’t be looking as intently as you do when you are drawing, so it wouldn’t affect you that much.” ― Martin Gayford, A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney

Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador — Lluvia! Rain!   The statement, You’d better watch what you wish for, comes to mind when I share that almost daily – or nightly – the rains continue to fall!  Yesterday the nearby stream built enough confidence to roar – a comforting sound to one who lives slightly uphill from it!     A between-rains inspection revealed several fast-growing trees that had sloughed downhill, and a small part of the gravel road showed new erosion.  My camera chip and computer are not on speaking terms, so your imagination is required for the above scene! (Could the most-recent update have caused this new conflict?)

Birds are happy, trees and flowers are happy – and the aroma of the orange blossoms reminded me of a springtime aroma from Mississippi.  What – could – that- be? I wondered, and then grinned.  “Mock Orange.”   Of course that’s why it has that name!

Between rains, I usually take my art bag and spend time near the Common Tody Flycatchers’ nest.  Let’s go down to the water and see what’s happening!

 

Shhhh – artista at work!

Orchestrated Timelines?

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Grey-backed Hawk, Museo Portoviejo, Nomadas en Manabi

Museo Portoviejo sponsors and encourages the arts. (Image from 2012)

El Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio
a traves del Museo Portoviejo y Archivo Historico
(Portoviejo Ecuador)
Invita a la inauguracion de la exposicion
NOMADAS EN MANABI
Expositores:
Sigrid Tidmore (Estados Unidos)
Alfonso Endara (Quito)
Crystal Hayes (Canada)
Lisa Brunetti (Estados Unidos)
Yuliana Shevchuk (Rusia)
Abigail Herrera (Venezuela)
………
Direccion: Calle Olmedo entre Sucre y Cordova (Edificio la Previsora)
Fecha: Agosto 15 de 2018
Hora: 19h30
(05) 2652235 – 2652279
………………………..
“

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once. ” – Albert Einstein

When one steps into a gallery or museum, they probably don’t think about the stories behind the paintings. Painting can be hard work, especially when ‘the good brushes’ no longer hold a point, and locally-purchased new ones make poor replacements. It is difficult to ‘nail’ the snippet of light on a bird’s eye or sign one’s name when using a brush that flares at the point! Even one AWOL hair on that brush will leave its renegade signature where it doesn’t belong!  Aside from my friends and family in the USA, I also miss the convenience of buying my favorite art supplies!

Painting for me is easy when compared to the next step of matting and framing those works – and having places to store the paintings. There are no ‘Michaels’ or ‘Fads and Frames’ that offer good quality brushes, paints, mats, ready-made or custom-made frames. The larger cities have better options, but what if those cities are hours and hours away? Over the years I’ve adapted, and now use thin plywood as ‘mats,’ which I sand and paint. Just like selecting custom mats at a frame shop, I usually draw and hand paint those windows; when the paint is dry, the original is carefully taped in place.

Ready to paint that window!

“Tres Toucanes”

Because many panes of glass have broken over the years (ha, and in earthquakes!) I now use very-thick clear plastic, which protects the paintings from dust and fingerprints. The curious public can sometimes damage a drawing or painting by touching it…

Ugh; I often forget to photograph the work until it’s beneath the plastic.!

Frames are made by local carpenters; I dole out the requests a few at a time, and almost always they are ready when promised.

Timeout for Art: Ancient Man’s Best Friend?

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mans best friend, museo bahia de caraquez, Painting Artifacts, precolumbian art ecuador, timjeout for art

Watercolor study — Artifact from Museo Bahia de Caraquez

“I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.”
― John Steinbeck

(Ecuador)   Allow me to introduce you to a new watercolor study, inspired by an artifact in the Bahia de Caraquez museum.     I don’t think it reflects the emotion of contempt, but it seems happy and makes me smile.

Several years ago I was allowed into the Museum’s special glassed room filled with artifacts.   A guard accompanied me while I admired various pieces and was allowed to photograph a few.  The director of the museum has given me permission to return to this room so that I can capture the likeness of artifacts that the public never gets to see. This precious artifact (above) is one of my favorites.

Museo Bahia de Caraquez – Bahia de Caraquez/Manabi/Ecuador

Now that we’re receiving afternoon rains in the cloud forest, I work on the gardens in the mornings and switch to art when the rain chases me inside!   This past week I even remembered to take a few photos while I worked!  (Although I do not like working from photographs,  I will be able to adjust colors when I return to the museum for another work session.)

Timeout for Art – Art Makes Us See

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blue flowers, painting flowers, Timeout for ARt:Art Makes Us See, watercolor

Petite Morning Glory w/watercolor in background…

“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.”
– Paul Klee

This vine grows wild in the nearby landscape and has exploded into bloom from the recent rains. I often arrange the cobalt-blue flowers in nosegays, which perch on shelves or near the kitchen sink and give me little smiles throughout the day.  Planning to add the petite blue morning glory’s likeness to the butterfly study, I admired the sinuous lines and decided that it deserved its own study!

Watercolor

There are times, when my eye-hand-brain connection is so in sync, that using a pencil before painting would seem redundant. There are other times when that faint map of pencil simplifies the process and strengthens the end result.  After studying the lines of the trailing  vine, I began to paint without the aid of a pencil.

Watercolor – Blue Morning Glory

Timeout for Art: Deliberate Practice

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spirals and circles, Timeout for Art, washing watercolor, watercolor washes

“Success has to do with deliberate practice. Practice must be focused, determined, and in an environment where there’s feedback.” (Malcolm Gladwell)

Last week’s drawing/painting class went well. The ladies no longer chatter as much as they did in the first few lessons! As we were painting in silence, every so often someone would ask, “How did you mix that color?”  

Most of the time I switched to a blank section of my paper and demonstrated the process; they watched as I mixed the colors, applied water to the paper and floated the pigment into a defined area.

The exercise began as a fun drawing, but the students learned that even simple designs demand an attentive eye and a steady hand!

Ready?

Timeout for Art: An Invasion of Ideas

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An artists's studio, Timeout for Art Invasion of Ideas, Understanding Artists

Hmmm, which task comes next?!

The problem isn’t coming up with ideas, it is how to contain the invasion. My ideas are like uninvited guests. They don’t knock on the door; they climb in through the windows like burglars who show up in the middle of the night and make a racket in the kitchen as they raid the fridge. I don’t sit and ponder which one I should deal with first. The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence. Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed — from Brain Pickings

Sundays at Casa Loca are deliciously serene.  The workers on the shrimp farms go to town or to the beach or family gatherings on their day of rest, and the pumping stations (supplying fresh water to the shrimp ponds) stay mute.   Aside from a random car or motorcycle passing on the road, the riverside’s background music comes from the whisperings of birds.

“Yikes! I’m growing feathers!”

The internet signal often works well enough to open emails in the early-morning hours, and most web pages show the text but drop the images.   Comments and emails that I write are often missing in action when I check later to see if they reached their destinations.   Brain Pickings, a once-a-week tonic written by Maria Popova,  arrives on the Day of Rest and delivers an insightful and comforting assortment of reading material that rivals the Sunday edition of one’s favorite newspaper.  Not seeing a Sunday newspaper for a fortnight of years, I look forward to the visual and intellectual tonic that Brain Pickings delivers to my remote location.

(Do I get a prize for breaking two hammers?) Some of the hardwoods are like concrete!

The above quote struck a strong chord as I peered into Herzog’s psyche.  He summarized and eloquently nailed how many artists approach their work.  It’s often difficult to explain the creative process to others.   There are times when one of my paintings is going really well, and after a break, I detour in a totally different direction with a new project!  I often create several small paintings while working on a more-challenging one.

Those small exercises in spontaneity are like little appetizers that sustain me and provide a little kick of energy to resume the larger work.   “The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence.”

TIMEOUT FOR ART: Starting Small

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La Division Ecuador, learning to draw and watercolor, timeout for art start small

In the distance, beyond that middle power line pole, is the little beach community of La Division…

“I’ll start with small things.”—Vincent van Gogh

Jama, Manabi, Ecuador 

Looking out the window and over the river and across the shrimp ponds, I often gaze toward the little pueblito of La Division. About a half hour’s walk from the riverhouse, La Division retains a refreshing authenticity that many coastal communities have lost.

View from the dining and art class area

With that authenticity comes the ‘manana’ attitude, and the 2 o’clock classes usually don’t begin until 3. Paying customers trump art class, and sometimes Nely prepares lunches, insists on serving me the family special, then scrubs her kitchen squeaky clean before switching to student mode. On sunny days I usually order a cold cervesa and sit back and absorb the tranquil vibe and practice the Ecuadorian lifestyle!

TIMEOUT FOR ART – To Live Eternity in an Hour

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bahia de caraquez museum, concentration, john and mary mcdonald ecuador, TIMOUT FOR ART live eternity in an hour, watercolors of pre-columbian art

“The difference in men does not lie in the size of their hands, nor in the perfection of their bodies, but in this one sublime ability of concentration: to throw the weight in one blow, to live eternity in an hour.” – Elbert Hubbard

I had the honor of ‘bunking’ with the ancient artifacts at Museo de Bahia de Caraquez during the Mola Series Exhibition in 2012! The guards, surprised that I was thrilled to be staying there, told a few ghost stories and said that I was very brave!

After hours, the museum was deliciously quiet, and while reviewing photos in my room, I painted a watercolor of one of the artifacts.

Timeout for Art: Be Yourself!

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be yourself, Timeout for Art, watercolor

“The Magic Portal” – Watercolor – Lisa Brunetti

The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.
~E. E. Cummings

Watch the frog come to life!  These photos show how a subject can seize control and affect the mood.

Timeout for Art: Learning to See

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Agaves, Cayambe Ecuador, Hacienda Guachala, Timeout for Art Learning to See

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” Camille Pissarro

Hacienda Guachala, the oldest hacienda in Ecuador, provides endless subject matter, especially when the early-morning sun warms the gardens.  Although dramatic shadows showcased the architecture of the two churches, my attention wavered to the subtle voice of the agaves.

Agave Study – Watercolor – Copyright Lisa Brunetti

Walk with me through the gardens, and hopefully you’ll agree with my choice for this (above) watercolor study.

Timeout for Art: How Did I Do That?!

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concentration in painting or drawing, ecuador precolumbian art, exercises for strengthening art skills, learning to block out sound when painting, museo bahia de caraquez, paintings of precolumbian pottery, Timeout for Art- How Did I Do That?

“ET” – Watercolor – Working from life/Museo Bahia de Caraquez/Ecuador

I do not know myself how I paint it. I sit down with a white board before the spot that strikes me. I look at what is before my eyes, and say to myself, that white board must become something. (Vincent van Gogh)

Anyone who has spent time drawing or painting will remember times of awe, when one steps back from the work and asks, ‘How did I do that?’

Timeout for Art: Desire vs. Talent

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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!”

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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

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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.

Timeout for Art: Reminders

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art by Lisa Brunetti, frog paintings, Timeout for Art, watercolor, zebra frog paintings

“Keep a bad drawing until by study you have found out why it is bad.”  (Robert Henri)

A watercolor instructor (Tony couch) once stated, “You should frame your worst mistakes and put them where you see them often.  They will remind you to NEVER  do that again.”

This week I’ve resorted to using a flimsy paper that was the best I could find almost a month ago in a basic art supply store almost two hours away.  Fair for pencil, it does not serve well as watercolor paper.   People have often stated that I’m a bit too hard headed at times, and after drawing the PEEPERS  in pencil, I wanted to take it a step more with color.  I KNEW that the paper was going to be difficult to use, but…..

More Butterflies?

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art by Lisa Brunetti, Butterflies, dirk maassen, Mindo Butterfly Gardens, nasturtium watercolor

 

How about a bright happy nasturtium to smile on your day? (watercolor)

Can anyone have too many butterflies or beautiful flowers?   When I am not painting, I sometimes work on the surplus of images and wonder what to do with them!  When in a serious painting focus, I either tap into the sounds of nature that surround me, or I use a very select playlist.

One of my favorite artists is Dirk Maassen – (Thanks always, Argentina Carlos!) – and this video features one of his songs paired with butterfly images from the Mindo (Ecuador) area.

Enjoy!

Z

Timeout for Art: Nature’s Beauty

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botanicals in watercolor, coffee art, heliconia paintings, nature's beauty quote, timeout for art natures beauty, waterkolors

Trocitos – Watercolor – Do you think that’s enough?!!!

“Nature has been mastering itself for some time now, and it is an honor to be able to capture its beauty. (Justin eckett)”

In addition to sharing the progress on Trocitos, I thought that a bit of color might jazz up your day!  Here are two attempts of capturing the beauty of nature.

Timeout for Art – Blissful Solitude

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Timeout for Art

Trocitos, detail from watercolor

”Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day.” — Winston Churchill.

Although “Trocitos” has not progressed as much as I had hoped, it has a bit more depth this week.  Set up on 2nd floor porch, I encountered a unique problem that forced me to move the table inside.   

Duds

Tags

ART, Butterflies, duds, Hummingbirds, NATURE, usb modems for internet

  Google Definition of Dud:  “Noun – A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.”

Ecuador – The claro USB modem internet system is a dud!  It receives no signal at my friends’ property, and in “Mindo Proper” it receives a signal, opens pages slowly, but will not send an email!  Sigh, Paradise DOES have its frustrations!

Timeout for Art: Power

Tags

art by Lisa Brunetti, butterflies in art, paintings of butterflies, studying nature, Timeout for Art, watercolor

“Let whoever may have attained to so much as to have the power of drawing know that he holds a great treasure.”  (Michelangelo)

When I block out all distractions and stay focused on my subject, drawing is like breathing – or like taking a refreshing nap!  After half an hour of drawing, I often trade my pencil for a paintbrush.  I quickly wean into a never-never land, and time seems suspended until something pulls me back into the present.  At times I am painting, and at times I am drawing with my paintbrush.

V is for Valdivia!

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Lisa Brunetti art, Sarah Dettman Tours, Spanish words that start with V, Tagged V, Valdivia Mujeres, Valdivia Potter, Valdivia Women, Venus Valdivias, Vivir Sin Aire English translation, Watercolors of pottery

Senorita Valdivia – stages of watercolor

Ecuador’s archaeological museums showcase the many cultures that thrived before the European conquest of the Americas.   The Valdivia culture is often described as the oldest urban settlement in the Americas and dates back to 3,500 or 4,000 B.C.    Some suggest that the Valdivia culture came from Japan, and why it vanished is a mystery as well.

Valdivia Museum – Valdivia Women – Mujeres – Merci Waits

When I visit the Ecuadorian museums, I linger at the Valdivia section in search of my favorite Venus ladies.

Valdivia Women – Guayaquil MAAC Museum

There are many great Spanish words that begin with the letter V for Frizztext’s Alphabet Challenge.   Enjoy this random sampler:

Color? Me? Color? Yes!

Tags

Acrylic Painting, art by Lisa Brunetti, hand-paint, hand-painted floors, Lisa Brunetti, The Mola Series, Weekly Photo Challenge COLOR

Did someone ask for COLOR?!!!

While working on the painting of the magic carpet on the bodega floor, I dashed upstairs to send a quick email.  There in the inbox was the WordPress challenge for ‘Color.’

I smiled and pondered,”Color?  Me?” and then I smiled.

‘Zeebra Rocks” on an explosion of red/orange – (Bookmark)

Hurriedly, I  rejoice that my eyes see in full glorious color, and I am pleased to share a few splashes from paintings that color my life!

While scrolling through  glimpses of some of my more-colorful works, enjoy a song by Don McClean that is often on my painting playlist.

Words Sometime Fail Me

Tags

ceibo trees, Jama Coaque Art, Jama Coaque Sellos Manos, Jesus Jazz & buddhism, Lisa Brunetti art, Patricia Adams Farmer, Rain Jama Ecuador January 2013

How Does One Spell Mud?!!!!  When walking to town in THIS, I briefly wondered if I was on the right track!

After six months of extreme dry weather, typical of this dry rain-forest climate, the clouds turned on their taps and kicked off the new year with slow gentle rain.   And more rain.  And more rain.   And more rain.

Friends from Colorado are in town to check on their home that’s under construction in the area.   I’ve upgraded from a life ankle deep in mud on the river to a short stay at a cute hostal while they are here.    (The photo above shows the road between my house and town.)   All’s fine here, though the internet has been painfully slow.  I have had problems sending emails, commenting on other posts or replying to WordPress comments.

Zeebra’s 2012 In Pictures

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2012 in Pictures, Don Koen, Flooding in Manabi Ecuador, Hand-painted concrete floors, Light Post Painting in Jama El Matal, Lisa Brunetti, museo bahia de caraquez, Museo Cancebi, Museo Portoviejo, Peace March, The Mola Series, Wear White for Peace, WordPress Photo Challeng My 2012 in Pictures, zeebra art

Reflecting on a twelve-month journey through WordPress.

WordPress tossed us a tempting challenge for this end-of-the year photo challenge.   With pleasure, I present some of the highlights of 2012.

This amazing tree was felled this past year.

The Magnificent Ceibos  Read about Ecuador’s amazing ceibo trees, cousins to the ceiba that grows in other parts of the tropical world.

Story Challenge Y (And Then Comes Z!!!)

Tags

Bananas, Frizztext Story Challenge Y, Snowy Egret, Yellow, Yellow Taxi

We’re nearing the end of Frizztext’s Story Alphabet Challenge, and I’ll be in my element after clearing this week’s Y!

Long Caye Belize

Y stands for Yellow!  Enjoy these selections of yellow!

Story Challenge: W is for Watercolor

Tags

Frizztext STory Challenge W, Lisa Brunetti, Saving Whites in Watercolor, The Mola Series, Watercolors

Frizztext’s Story Challenge brings us to the final letters of the alphabet.  “Watercolor” shoves out other options for this week’s selection from my tag stats!

Water water everywhere… Many times I remind struggling watercolorists to remember that it’s ‘WATER’color.  One wants the white of the paper to enhance the painting and make the colors glow!

Tiene Sed? Are You Thirsty?

Tags

Cafe con leche, cooking with hibiscus, DRAGON FRUIT, Maracuya, Mora Juice, PITALLY, Where's My Backpack Liquid

Cafe Con Leche, Anyone?

Ailsa, from where’s my backpack, asks for images of liquid.  My first thoughts for this post flowed to natural streams, rivers, lakes, oceans.  I then pondered the many liquids that we consume, so here are some of my favorite images that might make you wistful to sample these drinks!

P is for PAINTING!

Tags

Acrylic, Flickrcomments Story Challenge P, Frizztext, Hand-painted concrete floors, hand-painted designs on wood, Lisa Brunetti art, Watercolors

Frizztext tosses his alphabet challenge each Tuesday.   Pulling up from behind just under the wire with O for Olive Ridley, I am now slightly ahead with the prompt for P!   The tagword of “Painting” trumped Pelicans, Portoviejo, Pacific Ocean, Peace March, Photo Challenge and PreColumbian Art for a chance for the spotlight!

From the archives comes an eclectic assortment of paintings from a handful of years!  Rather than ramble on about my work, I’ll let the paintings take the stage!

M for Mola! Story Challenge – Letter M

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Frizztext Story Challenge M, Kuna Indians, M for Mola, Mola, Panama, The Mola Series

Mola Textiles made by the Kuna Indians of Panama

Frizztext/Flickr Comments asked this week, “ Hi Bloggers! Do you have to share a story or a short reflection tagged with the letter “M”?”

I chuckled at the thought of presenting M for Mola!  Are you ready for more molas?!!!

The Kuna Indians of Panama inspired this past year’s Mola Series of Paintings.

Travel Theme – “Red”

Tags

hibiscus, Manzana de Agua, Where's my backpack Travel Theme Red, Where's My Backpack: Red

Red Hibiscus and Quinoa “Quinouli”

Many talented photographers have contributed amazing images for Ailsa’s Travel Theme for this week.  Enjoy my token photos that illustrate the color RED!

Red and Green; Complimentary Colors

The Red-Carpet Treatment at Celebrity Restaurant – Portoviejo Ecuador

Red Capes – Watercolor for The Mola Series – Copyright/Lisa Brunetti