The Danta (Tapir)

The Danta (Tapir)

October 1, 2019 Just as we rounded a curve in the road near the top of the mountain, Billy exclaimed “Danta!” I knew the Spanish word for tapir and glanced up. There, at the opposite side of the road stood a young tapir, quietly munching leaves from a low tree branch....
The Medical Expense Painting Sale: Success and Gratitude!

The Medical Expense Painting Sale: Success and Gratitude!

It was a huge success! And the Backstory is pretty good too. The idea for the online Medical Expenses sale came through a conversation between my son, Tim and myself. Tim visited in May, 2018 after I ruptured my left Achilles heel. And there was more. I needed to see...
‘Notes in the Night’, a prelude

‘Notes in the Night’, a prelude

Hoping to complete the first draft by December, 2019. Notes in the Night is the working title for my personal reconnection with Frank after his death on March 10, 2014. It began in subtle signals and signs. Then it evolved into a trusted dialog lasting five years. An...
Rebuilding the Wall

Rebuilding the Wall

The rebuilding of the wrecked wall project became official in my mind when I turned my car into my carport and saw the pile of supplies: a stack of collapsed gaviones (galvanized steel wire cages that would be filled with rocks), hard black plastic tubing, a roll of...
Surviving Survivor’s Guilt

Surviving Survivor’s Guilt

Two weeks after and it feels like I am standing on the edge of a precipice, looking down and wondering what will happen next. And actually – I am. On the 5th of October Tropical Storm ravaged through Central America with floods, mudslides and raging rivers that...
And Then There was Tropical Storm Nate

And Then There was Tropical Storm Nate

I have no idea if there is news about what happened in Costa Rica a few days ago. Costa Rica generally doesn’t get much press.  In the U.S., there is news about Venezuela, yes.  But what is there to talk about with Costa Rica? No oil and it’s small and relatively...
An Enlightened Mango Tree

An Enlightened Mango Tree

My favorite mango tree is now wearing an array of warm glowing lights. With the flip of a switch it becomes lighted. But it has always been enlightened….. This tree has been a beautiful reminder and witness to all the magical as well as tragic events in my life over...
So You Need a New Website?

So You Need a New Website?

Way way back twenty years ago I built my own first website using the Dreamweaver program accompanied by a book, ‘Dreamweaver for Dummies”  by Janine Warner, 1995. janhart.com.  I started alone, completely crashed it all three times and then was accompanied by one of...
A Will and a Way – The Videos

A Will and a Way – The Videos

August, 2017 Always in the back of my mind was the idea of doing some watercolor videos. But after I moved to Costa Rica I kind of put the thought away. After all – I settled in the southern zone of Costa Rica – far away and over the Cerro del Muerte mountains...
So You Want to Learn Watercolor in 2017?

So You Want to Learn Watercolor in 2017?

After receiving three separate emails asking for some advice on learning to paint with watercolor, I am doing what I always do when something happens as a part of three. I pay attention. So here’s how I suggest you begin to learn to paint with watercolor. ...
So What is Good About a One Hour Watercolor Sketch?

So What is Good About a One Hour Watercolor Sketch?

July, 2017 When the hour was up and my beer was finished, I realized that I’d just had a blissful Right- Brained experience. Though I couldn’t remember it, I knew it had happened because of the peace and the calm that I felt. I had very little memory of any of the...
A Book Reading

A Book Reading

June 30, 2017 I accepted the invitation by Carol Vaughn of Carol’s Costa Rica Club – to present a few words and read from my recently published book, A Woman Awakens: Life, AfterLife. And there I was – surrounded by twenty-five friends and fellow ExPats as well as a...
The Intensives that Were, 2017

The Intensives that Were, 2017

2017 was a year that began in disarray. Personal upheavals seemed to parallel the political ones. I had scheduled four Intensives for the first four months of the year – and suddenly, plans were changing nearly as fast as the US political rhetoric.

Are You Planning to Buy Any of the New Paints?

Are You Planning to Buy Any of the New Paints?

A Facebook post from Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints caught my eye. Introducing 8 NEW Watercolors! New paints? Exciting news for artists – and the link offered even more enticing names and expressive descriptions. Having been a long time customer and supporter of...
The One Hour Watercolor Sketch with a Beer

The One Hour Watercolor Sketch with a Beer

Completing a watercolor sketch with a beer, in an hour may just be a way to wake up a dozing Muse or enliven a painting spirit! As a watercolor artist who has been painting and teaching for over thirty five years, I will admit to knowing quite a lot about the subject....