Tucked behind the hustle-bustle of vacationing beach goers, at the end of two rows of palm trees outlining an aisle fit for a seaside wedding, the Jaime Koss Art Gallery stands bold and proud as one of the little-known cultural highlights of Samara Beach. The man behind the gallery, and the creator of the art that brings it to life is the long-time local resident affectionately known as Don Jaime. The 65-year-old visionary can be found diligently shoveling sand in front of his property upward against the effects of the tide on any given morning, leisurely clad in brightly colored swim trunks, a short sleeved (if any) button-up shirt and his signature Little Mermaid baseball cap.

Koss, born and raised in Costa Rica’s central valley, has lived in Samara on and off for the past 40 years and is a living testament to the inspiring and rejuvenating benefits of life in the small beach town. That’s not to say that he hasn’t had a taste of life in the fast lane; After studying and teaching university level Chemistry here in Costa Rica, Koss later spent decades living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area of California as a graphic designer, educator and chemist. However, years later Don Jaime now reflects “with the changes of age I find myself more comfortable working in the studio”, an off kilter, open-air wooden structure overlooking Samara Bay with a clear view of Chora Island as his backdrop.

Koss’s artwork exhibits the creative outlet of a man who sees himself, and all other artists as people simply “trying to make sense of ourselves”. Oil and canvas come together to fuse a work of art as bold and bright as the man who created it, exclaiming “any creative process allows for alchemy of transformation”. Tell tale signs of a Koss masterpiece include striking contrasts of deep crimson and indigo against brazen lines yellow and orange, feminine figures and musical undertones. He characterizes his most recent series as a “point of synthesis and simplicity” featuring several “maritime constellation ladies” dancing about the canvas. Although these and other traits are typical to his work, the artist discloses that he “tries to challenge [him]self to do each painting differently”.

The Jaime Koss Art Gallery usually features between 50-70 paintings at a time and is open to the public everyday during high season. Koss works with three sizes of canvas: small for $90, medium for $160 and large for $250. He announces “people are welcome to come and explore the gallery” and expresses his gratitude “for keeping my gallery alive…this gallery is a jumping miracle”.