Welcome to Art Retreat Tamarindo
Come visit Art Retreat Tamarindo on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Unwind and enjoy the natural beauty and vibes surrounding you. Receive inspiration from the beautiful fauna, awesome ocean views, beautiful sunny weather, tropical birds, warm ocean, playful monkeys, and soft breezes.
We offer week-long retreats that can be guided by our collage and mixed media classes, or you are welcome to work on your own projects.
From our founder, Hollie Heller
“I began visiting Costa Rica fifteen years ago and fell in love with it. In 2008 I bought a beautiful villa in the surfing town of Tamarindo. After spending an increasing amount of time there, I started reevaluating my next steps in my teaching career. One day I had an epiphany as I walked down the stairs, looking out at the afternoon sun glistening on the ocean, “Why don’t I create an art retreat here?” At that point I had met so many people from all over the world living in Tamarindo interested in art, and I realized that there was nowhere in town to take classes or actively engage in art making. This area is known for surfing, yoga, and of course enjoying the beauty of this amazing tropical paradise. Opening an art retreat seemed like a natural next step for me. The house and the studio were finished in December 2013 and I began teaching workshops in May 2014. My vision for Art Retreat Tamarindo is to create a haven for artists to get away from their normal work spaces and breathe in a new art experience. I have been teaching one week collage workshops for the past forty years at places like Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Crafts, and at surface design and quilt conferences nationally.”
My Philosophy
“I am so excited to be offering this art experience especially with the beautiful warm weather and ocean views that this very special art studio offers all year around. After so many years of teaching, I cannot think of a more wonderful environment to be in than a room full of creative people making art. When I am designing a class I am always drawing on my own art making experience, which is very process driven. My own working style tends to be very systematic and when students have a hard time getting started I try to break down the project into a step-by-step activity. The classes and projects I have designed are a balance between offering new insights and techniques as well as inducing creative thinking. The workshop studio is a unique environment where I can observe students’ creative process and instruct individually within the class. I learn something new from my students in each class and I hope to have returning students and friends come share this experience as well as new students and residents of Costa Rica.”
Sharon C. Ostrow, Assistant Professor, Temple University
“One of the most incredible creative experiences of my life was traveling to Costa Rica to be an artist in residence learning mixed media creative processes from Hollie Heller at Art Retreat Tamarindo…. Hollie was so much fun to hang out with and very generous with her time when mentoring and teaching me. She encouraged me to be less exacting and freer with my methods of expression.… Hollie has an entire library of books, countless supplies and materials that she shares with visiting artists. I was the only artist in residence during my visit, but there were a few local women who came for lessons or open studios while I was working. This was not a distraction, but actually added to the atmosphere of creativity and brainstorming ideas. They were very welcoming and offered a wealth of information about Costa Rican life.”
About Hollie Heller
Hollie Heller is a multidisciplinary artist from New Jersey dividing her time between New York City and Costa Rica. She began her art training as an art education major with a minor in fine art from the university of Delaware, and later got an MFA in weaving and textile design with a minor in painting from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Hollie’s masterful mixed media works are largely inspired by materials collected on her travels. Her knowledge of design, textiles, and weaving allow her to make the most of the materials she finds. Although steeped in said traditional methods of making, she is constantly experimenting and testing the limits of ordinary materials. Hollie has been teaching surface design and collage for over thirty years, her students provide a wealth of inspiration for her.
