An Artist’s Retreat

An artist by trade and by nature, Jodie expresses her experience of the world through paintings that beautifully showcase light and color. She is inspired by her children and grandchildren, her travels, and the beauty of oceans, mountains, nature and landscapes.

Embracing the power of awareness that comes with focus and creativity, Jodie defines art as making, as getting lost in your work and doing something that is creative and inspiring.

Jodie is a treasured guest at Florblanca, sharing her unique vision of our world through paintings that truly captivate the spirit of Pura Vida.

Traveling for Art

20 years ago, Jodie began taking trips with a group of artists that brought them to destinations all around the world. This is not your ordinary sightseeing and taking-in-the-local-culture kind of travel. What makes this group and their trips so special is the time they dedicate to their painting and art during their travels. The intention is always to see new things, to gain new perspective, and to create new works of art. Whatever their location, the group will decide on a place to settle for a day, set up and stay there for hours, maybe working on multiple pieces but focused exclusively on that creative experience.

Jodie has traveled to France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Virgin Islands, the Southwest US, and all around her home state of North Carolina on trips dedicated to art.

Finding Time

We have been honored to have Jodie as a guest at Florblanca on three different occasions, but not for her dedicated art trips. These were vacations planned for spending time time with family and friends.

Traveling with friends and family is, of course, a joy but is more challenging when it comes to creating art. Not wanting to miss out on horseback riding or fishing or walks along the beach, Jodie has to consciously make time for art while she’s here. If the group is ready to relax by the pool, Jodie will make her way down to the beach, finding a vista where palm trees, ocean, rocks, and light all come together.

Through all her life experiences as an artist, which include getting a degree in art education, getting married, being an art teacher, and having children and now grandchildren, Jodie has learned how to make art quickly, embracing the “less is more”‘ school of thought.

While at Florblanca with family and friends, Jodie finds the time for her art, gets her work done quickly, and moves on.

When we talked to Jodie about how she makes time for art while she’s here and then looked at the work she created on her latest visit, we were so inspired about her artist’s perspective and her dedication to her craft.

Visual Memories

As an artist, Jodie see things through a lens of color, light, and expression. With every step, she takes in a different scene, experiencing all the elements visually.

Jodie describes arriving at the reception area at Florblanca and being handed fresh coconut water that was so refreshing and set the perfect tone for the arrival. She then embarked down our pathway to the villas surrounded by lush jungle greenery. When she arrived at the pool, it was so cool and inviting with a palapa that was like a perfect nesting spot.

She described experiencing one visual after another as she moved through Florblanca, each one being so different and unique.

In addition to the artwork she created while she was here, Jodie also took a lot of photos to continue working on this series at home, using the photos and her intensely visual memories to recreate these scenes later.

A year later, the group she visited Florblanca with reunited at home and Jodie presented everyone with a book of these paintings. This book of memories turned out to be the perfect gift, capturing all the moments they experienced on this trip through the eyes of a true artist.

Recognizing Beauty

We asked Jodie what it means to her to be an artist. What she loves is the ability to see things in a different way, to see and appreciate the details of color, shapes, shadows, and arrangements. She understands that this is a gift and she immerses herself in technique, in trying new mediums and new styles, in working, and in studying the work of other artists to learn from them. Art that is created is timeless and can always be relevant, can always be revisited. This is such rewarding work.

Jodie explained that the essence of what she does and how she lives her life is experienced in the moments when she is fully present and engaged, when the hours are lost in the work she’s doing. Acting with mindfulness applies to anything she’s doing, whether it’s creating art or playing with her grandchildren. In a fast paced and plugged-in culture, Jodie appreciates that her need to create and to translate her vision to canvas keeps her grounded, focused, and productive. And that by setting aside time specifically for doing this, she is free to spend the rest of her time equally engaged in other interests and in her relationships with family and friends.

The Artist’s Eye

Florblanca is a place seemingly designed for all kinds of artists – visual, physical, culinary, decorative, landscape, musical. It is incredibly special for us to catch a glimpse of Florblanca through the eyes of these artists. To see the scenes that Jodie created from her last visit here is both enlightening and enriching for us, making our work here more meaningful as we continue connecting with our guests and creating an experience that inspires.

#VIVAFlorblanca

Find other stories in our “Where We Belong” series: Awakening – A Story of Yoga and Rebirth | Life in the Moment – A Story of Surfing, Family, and Lasting Youth | Balance and Connection with Lucia