Jaime Gurdián has been making the drive from San José to the Guanacaste coast for as long as he can remember. Based in Escazú, San José, that journey to the Pacific — the changing light, the drop in altitude, the first glimpse of ocean — has been part of his life since childhood. His paintings are highly textured depictions of Guanacaste's beaches, from Playa Flamingo at sunset to Playa Penca in the height of the midday sun, the works uniquely capture a sense of place, which collectors are drawn to.
Jaime Gurdián, Playa Penca
His medium is acrylic, with sand from the beaches incorporated directly into the paint and built up on the surface of the canvas. The sand lends each piece a fine, organic grain — visible up close — and the process is a physical one: Jaime works with his hands, using plaster to form the waves and build the undulating surface that gives the paintings their relief.
We love his new series of Costa Rican beach paintings, which sees crushed river stones, gathered from the inland waterways that feed the same ocean he has always painted.
Last week, Jaime showed his work at MÍRAME Fine Art's Andaz Art Week, where we presented Sands (title image) a diptych that showcased the river stone series for the first time.
Jaime Gurdián, Cuando sube la marea
He is currently also featured in From the Shore, our ongoing exhibition at Zarpe in Playas del Coco. On Saturday 11 April, Jaime will be at Zarpe in person for a live painting demonstration and a conversation about his work — and we'd love to see you there.
MÍRAME co-founder Belinda Seppings sat down with him ahead of the evening to talk about his evolving practice of Costa Rican beach paintings.
Jaime Gurdián in his studio (Photography by Julio Sequeira)
BS: You know these beaches intimately — you must have an enormous photographic archive. How do you work with it? Is it about finding a specific moment of light, or is the painting more about memory than documentation?
JG: Yes, I do have a large archive of photographs, but I don't use them in a literal way. For me, they are more like a starting point — a way to reconnect with a place. What really guides the painting is memory and the feeling of being there: the light, the calm, the movement of the water. It's less about documenting a specific moment and more about translating an experience.
BS: The Costa Rican beach paintings are named after specific beaches — Playa Potrero, Playa Grande, Flamingo al atardecer. Are these places with personal significance, or is it purely about the landscape?
JG: The places are very personal. These are beaches I've spent time in — some are places that stayed with me in a strong way. Naming the works after them is a way of anchoring the painting to a real memory. And at the same time, I try to create something universal. Even if someone has never been there, they can still feel connected to it.
BS: Some of these colours — the burning pinks, the deep purples — are almost hard to believe. Is that really what you see, or is it what you feel?
JG: The colours are definitely inspired by what I see, but they are also very much about what I feel. Sometimes nature really does give you those intense tones — especially during sunsets. In the painting I allow myself to push them a bit further. It's about capturing that emotional intensity more than being strictly realistic.
BS: The works are very physical to make — you work with your hands directly on the canvas. What does that contact with the material give you that a brush can't?
JG: Working directly with my hands gives me a much closer connection to the material. It allows me to feel the texture, to move the paint in a more organic way. A brush can be precise, but with my hands I can respond more intuitively. It becomes almost like shaping the landscape rather than just painting it — creating a sculpture on canvas.
Close-up of Sands, crushed river stones diptych
BS: With the river stone you're moving inland — away from the shore and into a different part of the Costa Rican landscape. What drew you in that direction?
JG: Working with river stone came very naturally. It felt like an extension of what I was already doing with sand — still connected to nature, but from a different environment. It opened a new way of thinking about texture and landscape. Even though it comes from inland, for me it still carries that same sense of place and connection to Costa Rica.
Jaime Gurdián, Ola en playa Grande
Jaime works extensively on commission, and it's one of the most compelling ways to engage with his practice. If there's a beach that means something to you — a cove in Guanacaste, a stretch of Pacific coastline you return to — he can work with that. With a description or a photograph, he develops a colour study and a render, so you have a clear sense of the final piece before anything goes to canvas.
Jaime's paintings have shipped to collectors in the US, Canada and the UK — if you're based outside Costa Rica, we're happy to discuss shipping options.
A selection of his existing Costa Rican beach paintings is also available through MÍRAME.
To enquire, please contact Belinda at [email protected].
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Interview with Jaime Gurdián
