Our Costa Rica Art Retreat was fabulous.

Costa Rica was, of course, beautiful. Lush beyond belief. Layer upon layer of greens. Big leaves, tangled vines, sudden bursts of flowers, soft mist, shifting light, warm air, and those moments when you look up and feel as though the whole place is vibrating with life.

It would be easy to make this post simply a gallery of photos and say, “Look where we were!” And certainly, that would tell part of the story. The scenery was extraordinary. The kind of beauty that makes you stop in your tracks. A lot.

But our Costa Rica art retreat was about more than scenery.

What stays with me now is the whole experience of it — the immersion, the rhythm of the days, the camaraderie that grew, the shared purpose, the wonderful food, the studio conversations, the laughter, the quiet concentration, and that very particular and wonderful feeling of being lifted out of ordinary life for a while and placed inside a little bubble made of art, beauty, friendship, and possibility.

That bubble sooooo matters.

At home, painting is so often threaded through the rest of life. Emails to answer. Meals to think about. Laundry. Appointments. News. Chores. Decisions. Even when we really, really want to paint, there are always other things jostling for our attention.

On an art retreat, all that falls away.

The days take on a different shape. You wake up and the question is not, “What do I have to get done today?” but rather, “What will I notice? What will I paint?” There is something deeply restorative about that – not only as an artist, but as a person.

And then there’s the joy of sharing it with others who are there for the very same reason.

One of the loveliest parts of the week was the bonding that happened so naturally. There’s something about spending days together painting, looking, puzzling things out, eating and drinking together, talking art, and simply being in such a beautiful place that brings us deeply together. Camaraderie grows quickly in that kind of environment. By the end, it felt as though we’d created our own little world. And the fact that our WhatsApp group is still sparkling with life says a lot about the connections that were made.

That, to me, is one of the quiet gifts of an art retreat. Yes, you come for the painting. Yes, you come for the place. But you also come away with shared memories, new friendships, inside jokes, encouragement, and the warm feeling of having spent time among people who understand exactly why standing in one spot for thirty minutes deciding on a shape or a colour can feel like a completely worthwhile use of a life.

And I can’t not say something about the food on our Costa Rica art retreat!

It was amazing.

There’s something rather luxurious about being nourished so well while spending your days painting. The call to meals comes and you sit down to the most beautiful and delicious concoctions, surrounded by the sounds and colours of Costa Rica.

Spoilt rotten, that’s for sure.

There’s nothing required beyond you showing up. That’s some kind of magic. The staff at Rio Chirripó Lodge took such perfect care of us – always warm, attentive, and unfailingly kind. There was a friendliness and ease to everything they did that made it possible for us to settle in immediately and completely. And our host, Martine, organised the whole trip with such care and thoughtfulness that we were free to simply be and paint.

Of course, the painting itself was at the centre of it all.

We painted on location. We painted in the studio. We watched the weather, adjusted plans, did colour exercises, looked for shapes, simplified scenes, responded to the richness of the landscape, and each found their own way into the visual abundance around us. And that was so fascinating to witness. The same place, the same general environment, and yet each artist noticing something different, each drawn to different scenes, patterns, colours, or moments. Each expressing their own unique voice.

That’s always one of my favourite things — seeing a place reflected through many different eyes.

And perhaps that’s part of why an art retreat can feel so expansive. You’re not only seeing for yourself. You’re also seeing through the observation, the discoveries, and the choices of others. The whole experience becomes richer.

As I look back now, I realise that what made this retreat memorable was not simply Costa Rica’s beauty, though beauty there was in abundance. It was the full experience of being immersed in art and place, away from the cares of the world, surrounded by others doing the same, and given the time and space to notice more deeply. Inhale. Exhale.

It’s a privilege, really, to step out of regular life for a while and into a rhythm shaped by beauty, nature, painting, companionship, and attention.

So yes, Costa Rica was beautiful. But it was also nourishing, connecting, invigorating, and deeply enjoyable in all the best ways.

And if these images stir a little longing in you, well… I completely understand. I’ll hope to see you at my next art retreat!

Until next time,
~ Gail

PS. I stepped in a nest of ants (yes, I did) and they had some serious stinging power! As couldn’t quite get rid of them out of my shoes, I walked home from the Secret Garden in bare feet!