Mother Cayman and Babies

18″ x 24″
Oil on canvas

In February of 2011, my daughter and I took an 11 day trip to Costa Rica. Three days of which were spent in Tortuguero on the east coast. We left our large luggage in the bus. We took a 30 minute boat ride to an estuary. We stayed in a delightful cabin that was clean and spartan. We only had a ceiling fan and screen window. We awoke each morning to a troop of Howler Monkeys in the trees overhead. We were in heaven. We loved everything from the Three Toed Sloth’s, to the large Leaf Cutter Ants parading across the trail. The many species of bird’s were delighful. The local guides were great. Costa Rica requires them to have an education and to be certified. The guides seem to enjoy dealing equally with the tourists and nature. They were in complete harmony with the environment. They knew where all of the different animals hung out and how to approach them. Their knowledge was extensive. The challenge of this painting was to use different photo references to complete the composition. The mother Cayman was almost hidden. Her babies were more to the side and could not be photographed in the same shot. As I was drawing and painting this family, I felt some of the joy I experienced being in Tortugero, Costa Rica.
See the painting “Girls Reading in Tortuguero Costa Rica” 20″ x 24″ in Worldviews.