A Silk Painting Artist from Costa Rica, Wendy Tayler

Wendy Tayler is part of the thriving community of transplanted artists in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.  She spent her childhood in San Francisco.  She has been living in northern Costa Rica since 1990 and has built a successful business based on her creative painting skills.  Silk from China is her choice of media.  Her company Costa Rica Silks, Ltd., markets products directly and through many outlets like Etsy, various tourist locations in the Guanacaste province, local art galleries like the Hidden Garden and by word of mouth. 

The products produced by Wendy include scarves, kimonos, wraps, wall hangings and miscellaneous special projects like the first example given below, which features significant events in a couple's fifty years of marriage for a wedding anniversary present.  Her most frequent inspiration for her paintings lies in her tropical surroundings near her farm north of Liberia - plants, birds, animals and insects that are common to Costa Rica.  Here are seven examples of her art.  Visit her web site and her Etsy account to see more examples of her talent and abilities!

Guanacaste Costa Rica Art

During the end of this month and through part of the first week of May (to May 8th), there is an exhibition of art at the Museo Guanacaste in Liberia, Costa Rica.  It is called the Art Festival in the Museum and this is the second year of the exhibit.  The art includes 30 samples in all: paintings from local artists, sculptures and local crafts, as well as an exhibition of wood carvers making sculptures, workshops and concerts. 

Most of the artists are from the Guanacaste province, and a few are recent transplants.  One of the painters who is featured at the show is from Switzerland, but she lives and paints of subjects in Costa Rica.  Here are some photos of the paintings that are featured in two rooms at the museum.

The Patio, Heaven and Earth by Christian Porras.  Another of his patio paintings is shown below.

Leaf, a colorful macro study by Helga Denoth from Switzerland, who became enamored of tropical Costa Rica.

Montadero by Jorge Sáenz, part of a Guanacaste cultural tradition.

Reorganization of a figure by the landscape by Juan Carlos Ruiz, one of two paintings in this style on exhibition.

The Mediterranean Muse by Norma Varela.  She has other portraits of women from Guanacaste province.

Monomorphosis I by Rodicab, part of three paintings in a series reflecting a local legend.

Corner of the patio by Christian Porras.

Holocaust of the pigeons by Rebeca Alvorado

Outside of the museum there were three sculptors working on Saturday, two working with wood and another with stone.  The sculptors participating included Ulises Jiménez, Manual Vargas, and Domingo Ramos.   Here are some photos of two of them doing their craft, and some pieces that were exhibited in the museum:

A mix of power tools and hand work were needed to make this sculpture.

Power tools make sculpting faster, but noisier and perhaps more dangerous.

Other works of art included carvings using the fruit of jicaro trees.  These small trees have odd flowers and the globe-like fruit are borne along the stems.  They were used by indigenous people to make drinking and eating vessels, spoons, as well as musical instruments like maracas and ocarinas.  Here is a display of the artistic uses of jicaro:

So, if you are near Liberia during this time of the year, take some time out to go see the art.  It is a pleasure to view and the atmosphere in the Museum is accommodating.  You can also make a donation for the renovation of the building, as it is a work in progress.  This fort-like building, which covers a whole block, used to be the police headquarters and held prisoners as well.  You can tour the building as well during the art exhibition.  Here is a photo of one of the four parapets of the building:

 

Gold and Other Examples of Pre-Columbian Costa Rica Art

Here are three photos of Pre-Columbian gold art work taken from the permanent exhibit in the Museo del Banco Central in San José, Costa Rica.  This museum is located under the Plaza Cultural besides the mall area and the National Theater (Teatro Nacional), and it hosts a numismatic display on the first level and temporary contemporary art exhibits on the lower level.

The exhibit that has the gold artifacts also has presentations that explain what is known of Pre-Columbian indigenous cultures in Costa Rica.  There are village displays and a full-sized model of a warrior with a sword and his peculiar ear lobe ornamentation.

 The cost of entrance for non-Costa Ricans is 5,500 colones ($11) for adults and it is half-price for students with identification.  It is open all week from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.  There are several security guards in this museum and there are lockers to store your backpacks while viewing.  You can take photos, but you can't use a flash.

More Examples of Pre-Columbian Artifacts from Costa Rica:

Human ocarina

Metate

Tripod vessel with lizard figures.