Tag Archives: Art Retreats

All About Costa Rica

8 Oct

Mosaic Retreat: Costa Rica
Flora & Fauna
Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
November 23 – December 1, 2013
$1960

The smallish country of Costa Rica is BIG with heart-thumping nouns: Rainforest; Jungle; Puma; Volcano; Rapids; Blue Morpho; Cloud Forest; Waterfalls; Toucan; Lava, Strangler Fig.

The numbers-story goes like this:

  • 19,700 square miles, ranking 129th in landmass worldwide, and, closer to home, about the size of West Virginia or Denmark.
  • 801 miles of curvy coastline on the Pacific; 132 miles fronting the Caribbean, much of which is inaccessible by car.
  • Elevation ranges from 0 – 12,530 feet above sea level
  • 12 distinct ecosystems
  • Within only .25% of the world’s landmass, Costa Rica hosts 5% of the world’s biodiversity
  • Constitutionally abolished its army in 1949, and is one of the world’s 22 longterm stable democracies
  • In 2012 Costa Rica is scheduled to become the first country on the continent of the Americas to ban recreational hunting
  • In 2007, the government announced an initiative to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021
  • Literacy rate of 94.9%
  • 11 degrees North of the Equator, with a tropical climate determined by elevation

Impressive? Absolutely! But numbers pale up against the visual stimulation of this land filled with gentle people and wild nature. Below is a little gallery of photos from my trips to Costa Rica over the last 13 years. Click on the first image to flip through paradise in larger format.

Get up close with us in Costa Rica — what better place to capture the splendor of quirky and art-inspiring  flora and fauna?

Read Retreat Description here.

Read about Pam’s Virgin Trip to Costa Rica here.

Contact us here.

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Mosaic Retreat in Costa Rica: November 2013

8 Oct

Mosaic Retreat: Costa Rica
Flora & Fauna
Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
November 23 – December 1, 2013
$1960

Join us in the jungles of Costa Rica to work fauvist portraiture magic on local flora and fauna. Whether you’re drawn to the lush foliage and floral exotics of the rainforest or the brilliance of toucans, macaws, the Blue Morpho butterfly, or beady-eyed tree frogs, we’ll spend a week creating mosaic “portraits” of Costa Rican beauties.

We’ll explore forest paths, gardens, and sanctuaries on our first day, allowing ample time to capture the photographic images that make your heart go pittypat. We’ll then work to simply images for mosaic via photo editing and collage techniques. The rest of the week will be yours to work with the group or alone, with optional daily instruction, demos, and personal attention.

We’ll also schedule a free day for adventure activities, as well as one or two shorter excursions. At the top of the list will be a visit to nearby Arenal Volcano, as well as a good soak in the local hot springs.

Accommodations will be at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, an eco-lodge and organic farm situated in a private rainforest preserve adjacent to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. The lodge includes 7 rooms with bath and wrap-around porches, plus individual or family garden cabinas, pool, jacuzzi, and spa with a wide range of treatments available. Daily organic meals prepared onsite by a Slow Food Movement chef will be included. Special Request meals can be accommodated. All rooms are single accommodations with one queen bed. A very limited number of double accommodations may be available. Please contact for pricing if a spouse wishes to join you.

$1,960 price includes arrival and return shuttle for our group from San Jose Airport to Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm), accommodations for seven nights (Saturday – Saturday), seven breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners, one guided farm tour, one guided rainforest tour, six days of instruction including one-on-one time, and Welcome Reception. Students will be responsible for bringing materials, tools, and substrates. Optional activities at an extra cost include guided Arenal Volcano Lava Hike, two lunches and dinners in town, Butterfly Garden or Cloud Forest Tours, Zipline Canopy Tour, Rafting, or Hanging Bridge Canopy Tour. One day will be set aside for On Your Own Adventures. Airfare, local transportation (excluding airport shuttle), optional tours, alcohol and gratuities are not included in the trip cost. Class is limited to 12 participants.

Room selections will be made in order of full payments received.

Average high in November is 82; average low is 68.

For a tentative daily schedule or more information, please email Pam.

For more information about Carol Shelkin, please visit Carol’s website, or Carol’s class description.

For more information about Pam Goode, please visit Pam’s website or business page.

To register, please email Pam with name and contact info. Deposit of $500 (1/2) may be made through PayPal or by check. Payment in full must be completed by October 1, 2013.

Cancellation and refund policy:
All cancellations are subject to a 20% handling fee. For reservations cancelled 90 days or more before workshop, 50% is refundable. If cancelled less than 60 days before the workshop, 25% is refundable. If cancelled less than 45 days before the workshop, fee is non-refundable.

Should any workshop/retreat be canceled the entire amount paid will be refunded within fourteen days after the tour’s cancellation. Instructors have no obligation regarding any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations. Instructors and Finca Luna Nueva Lodge accept no liability for any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket or for canceled flights.

Travel Insurance
It is strongly recommended that all workshop participants purchase Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Baggage, Accident and Medical insurance from a reputable insurance company.

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Itinerary: Orvieto, Italy Mosaic Retreat

3 Oct

What, When & Where!

Sunday, May 12, 2013
Arrive in Orvieto, Settle in, Welcome Dinner

Monday, May 13
Orvieto from the Inside Out
We’ll start our journey getting up close and personal with our host city. We’ll tour the convent, walk into town to get our bearings, get a cappuccino fix in one of the many cafes, tour the majestic Cathedral with a local guide, and pinpoint the best shopping and strolling streets for later excursions. Back at the convent, we’ll enjoy lunch made by the resident nuns, followed by an olive oil and wine tasting to get our palates ready for Italy. In the afternoon, we’ll take an historical look at Orvieto from the Etruscans onward — a 3,000 year journey, give or take a decade.
Evening Studio Time
To get started, we’ll talk a bit about materials and technique; suggestions for photography and scavenging during our daily outings; lecture/demo on materials and tools; lecture/demo on texture. Dinner on your own or with the group; studio will be available for those who wish to get started.

Tuesday, May 14
Morning Studio Time
After breakfast we’ll jump right in with a talk about light in mosaic, followed by a morning walk and photography session. Back in the studio, we’ll demo converting photographs to designs suitable for mosaic, and begin preparing designs for the week. We’ll go over details for working in miniature and jump right in, with one-on-one time.
Afternoon Exploration: Cooking Class
This afternoon we’ll visit with a James Beard chef and prepare our dinner at his restaurant. A little cappuccino, a little wine, a lot of tasting all culminating in a typical Italian dinner compliments of our classmates and the restaurant staff. Always a highlight! After dinner, feel free to stroll a bit, hit the studio, or wind down at the convent.

Wednesday, May 15
Morning Studio Time
We’ll start with a lecture demo on choosing materials for your specific designs, followed by on-your-own and one-on-one time with Pam. Students are welcome to work in the studio or take their very portable works-in-progress to the garden, city wall, or a quiet spot in town.
Afternoon Exploration: Ancient Orvieto
Created especially for our workshop, we’ll spend this afternoon touring the Roman mosaics beneath At. Andrea Church, followed by a tour of the ancient Etruscan caves beneath Orvieto. Dinner on your own and studio time if desired.

Thursday, May 16
Morning Exploration: Market Day!
We’ll visit the weekly market after breakfast, and pick out the ingredients for a fresh fresh fresh picnic lunch.
Morning Studio Time
Walking back from the market, we’ll stop for cappuccino and talk about one of the most important topics in art: putting SOUL into your work. At the studio we’ll continue working or begin new pieces. And since there’s no better inspiration than the brilliance of fresh produce, we’ll talk about Color!
Afternoon Exploration: Orvieto Wines
An “off the rock” excursion to a local vineyard, where we’ll have learn about the wine-making process, followed by a sampling. Dinner on your own if you have room, and as always, studio time if you wish.

Friday, May 17
Studio Time
Pleine Air work as a group or on your own, adding finishing touches. Free time in Orvieto as desired.
Early Evening Reception
Student Show and Share Time followed by group dinner.

Saturday, May 18
Depart Orvieto for more on-your-own adventures!

*Workshop Notes: The Mosaic Workshop portion of this retreat may be used as a workshop as schedulued or as personal art retreat time at the student’s discretion. Students are welcome to use the studio on their own schedule and work as much or as little as they wish; sessions are not mandatory. Students also have the option of working entirely independently, but are always entitled to one-on-one time with the instructor as desired. Program cost remains the same whether used as a group workshop or private work art retreat time. Workshop is suitable for all levels and one-on-one time will be tailored to your experience, preferred materials, and mosaic style.

*Program Notes for Travel Companions: Our hosts Adventures in Italy provide a reduced-cost program for travel companions sharing your room but not participating in the mosaic workshop. Discover Orvieto includes all excursions and activities of the group, including meals outlined above. Information on Discover Orvieto is here.

For more information or clarification on any details, just email pamgoode@earthlink.net.

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Get Out

30 Sep

One of the biggest problems I have when it comes to creating is getting OUT of my own head. Schedules, an ever-expanding To Do list with far too few check marks, voices reminding me of imminent emergencies that always take precedence over creative time (sigh . . . I can’t finish that book/painting/quilt/journal when this toaster clearly needs washing!) and day-to-day necessities (food and the occasional shower) crowd my brain and pull a veil of shetland wool over any creative urges that long to see the light of day.

My solution to getting out of my own repetitious agenda is to get OUT of my head by getting OUT of my house. Even walking to the mailbox on the corner or driving for a spin through a few distant neighborhoods is enough to reset the gears and give my creative side a little voice. Oooh, look at the colors in that tree! Wow, I had no idea this park was here. I wonder where this path leads? The sound of the birds replaces my routine inner humming; the curve of a petal resets my spacial imaginings; a pop of chartreuse refracts possibilities through my eyes.

But the best recharging I do is through travel. I long to get far enough away from myself and my neural travel paths to reset everything inside me. I love wandering through a country with new eyes, particularly when my grasp of the language is timid enough to keep me mostly silent and watching, alert for nuances and glimpses into other cultures, other ways of being. Exploring new places is always fun, but the complete makeover of SAME OLD ME is life-giving. Suddenly everything is new — unfamiliar recipes tickle the palate; regional patterns and colors excite and inspire; vistas across the Italian countryside parallel a sense of endless possibility; cultural curiosities encourage you to go deep inside to pull your own mysteries into your art.

Grab a backpack or the Louis Vuittons, book that ticket, and get out. Dive into the unfamiliar and let it envelop and transform you. I guarantee you two things: a new outlook and a heap of inspiration.

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