Thursday, March 10, 2011

Monteverde Showers

Monteverde Showers
6" x 8" oil on canvas on board

Due to rains, I was not able to finish this piece.  I set up and put away twice and decided it was just not meant to be.  So, I may finish it from the photo, or leave this one and do a new one from the photo.    That's all part of the joy of plein air painting!  (Especially in the rain forest.)


While I was painting, this agouti strolled through the grass and just sat down right near me.  I wish there was something in the photo to show his actual size, but he was pretty big, about the size of a cat.  Agoutis are in the rodent family and look like a tall, large, long legged guinea pig.  In some parts of Costa Rica they are becoming extremely rare as they've become pray to wild animals, but we saw them everyday in Monteverde.  Apparently they scare easily (although he wasn't scared of me) and when they get scared, they run while emitting a high pitched bark.


The Reserve of Monteverde is called the Biological Cloud Forest Reserve.  And, deservedly so.  This is the dry season, and we had rain and/or clouds everyday.  Although, not the downpours of the rainy season.  

14 comments:

martinealison said...

Une belle peinture pour accompagner de très intéressantes photos... Cela devait être grisant que d'apercevoir cet fabuleux animal.
bisous

LindaHunt said...

Nice beginning...your trip sounds to have been a wonderful one! The little fellow is cute!

Autumn Leaves said...

A beautiful start here, Pam! Thank you for the little lesson on the agouti (or was it agoudi?). I hadn't heard of them but it sure looks king of cat-like.

Crystal said...

Looks like you have a wonderful start. I can't wait to see it finished. The little critter must have been a surprise, since they don't usually come so close. :-)

Pam Holnback said...

Martine, Merci. Que bien que tu aime le peinture. (I'm sure that's not correct French, but...)

Thank you Linda. The trip was so great! And, all the animals incredible.

Sherry, Thank you. I think I'll leave this start as a study and do another of the tree on a new support.

Crystal, thanks. I was amazed that he just walked up and sat right down not too far from me!

Lorraine Shirkus said...

I hope you get to finish this . . . how fabulous to travel and paint in Costa Rica!

Erik van Elven said...

That's a beautiful blockin Pam, and it sounds like you had a great trip. Love the variety in the greens you achieve in your paintings.

Christine's Arts said...

Love all your plein air paintings, they are so alive.

Ralph said...

Pam you have a wonderful touch with green I so wish you could tell me how to do that.

Anne Winthrop Cordin said...

Just spent some time revisiting your blog,enjoying so much of your sensitive and thoughtful work.Thanks too for your comment on my blog about the one stroke exercise, I am so happy to be following and doing the challenges. I'm going to add you to my links!

Happy Little Trees Studio said...

I think you should finish this in the studio!! And Love, love, LOVE the photo! How cool is that!!!

Nancy B. Hartley said...

Pam, your trip looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing Your photos, and glad that you can continue with your painting while in transit! Looking forward to hearing more!

Pam Holnback said...

Lorraine, Thank you. I'm still debating if I should finish this one , or leave this as a kind of study, and start a fresh one.

Thank you Erick, I had to do a ver quick block in. And, after putting everything away once due to rain, I decided to just go for the tree trunk, in case it rained again. Which it did!

Christine, Thank yo so much. I love the out-of-doors and plein air lends itself so much to that.

Thank you Ralph. The Greens there were incredible. I'd never seen so many like that! A fun challenge!

Anne, Thank you so much! I look forward to more of your challenge pieces.

Kimberly, thank you! I'll keep posting photos of the trip.

Nancy, Thank you. Traveling and painting...what more could I want!

Marian Fortunati said...

How wonderful!!!!
What a fabulous experience you're having... so nice to share a tiny of piece of it through you!