Viajes a Costa Rica, “Playa Ventana” Watercolor. En Plein Air in Costa Rica

Painting outdoor is one of my very favorite things to do.  Not only you are in the midst of beautiful nature and songs of birds serenading under the colorful sky, but it gives me so intense study on simplifying shapes in complicated presence of many subjects.  So I must choose what will be my subject, first.  And colors and temperature etc.. before I start my thumbnail sketches. Oh yes, I make lot?s of mistakes and messing up while working on short time frame, too.  Plus weather situation.  I wouldn?t know time to time. Sometimes, I success to come home with keepers, sometimes, it goes to you/PA artists know where.  I don?t have a fireplace in Costa Rica.  Lol.   My techniques? For Texture, I love Granulate colors they create their own textures when mixed with other transparent colors. A palette knife can create textures and lines by scraping on different side of it. Using plastic wrap can do good job on rocks, too. And of course, Light reflecting colors create glowing effect. The crashing waves are lifted edges with clean water and paper towel, the last part of painting process. I used to paint on Cold press papers,  I love using Rough now, hot press sometimes.  This paper is Arches Rough 140lb, I brought them from US.  In most of my paintings, I use only paints, brushes, palette knife, water spray bottle, paper towels.   I will post another painting from Ventana later.  ?Playa Ventana? Watercolor 14×20 was painted at the beach 10 miles south of famous Whales Tail, Uvita.  One of my favorite beaches in Costa Rica.  Costa Rican beaches are normally not crowed and easy to park your car under trees around beaches.  I decided to paint on a blanket instead of using an easel.  I painted at this location for 2 days.  There are some caves you can walk into when tide is out, rocks and sand are harmonious even though water is not deep for a long ways out.   So, if you go there, put out a picnic blanket out under the coconut tree(be sure you are not right under the coconuts, they fall you know..  :)).  Jump into the warm water until your first wash is dry.  You will not want to come home!