By David Young

Sometimes it takes “retirement” to uncover hidden talents or latent skills, or to have the time and the environment to exploit them.

Over the years, as Panama has grown in stature as a retirement destination, and not just an unidentified spot on the map where they have a canal, it has attracted its fair share of  new style settlers who have arrived to spend the golden years, enjoying  the climate and the people and  "relaxing."

Then talent  or unfulfilled  “  if only ”dreams come to the surface and bingo, at least part of the day is back on the fast track.

Take for example Germain Courchesne, a former union organizer from  Thetford Mines  in Quebec, Canada.

After a  career representing workers in the food industry  in Montreal, he moved to the Dominion Republic a favored holiday spot for Canadians, where he met Darline, his wife to be.

After their marriage they decided to follow the trail of many Dominicans and made the hop skip and a jump to Panama. They fell in love with the Isthmus and opted to settle in Veracruz, a stone’s throw from Panama City, but amply  suited for a laid back retirement But up popped that pesky talent which  was dormant in the genes

Germain comes from a Quebec  family with artistic flair, far removed from the hurly burly of union 

negotiations. His father was a clothes designer and master tailor One brother is a successful painter, and art consultant,  and another has built a career creating works in glass.

So, four years ago,  instead of  painting walls at home Germain decided to spend his idle hours “dabbling”  with acrylics on canvas.

 Germain was soon hooked and from dabbling amateur, with guidance from  some knowledgable friends. he moved slowly forward to becoming an accomplished acrylic artist,  to  the point where some of his works have been snapped  up  by local collectors, 

others can be seen exhibited  at the Tucan  Golf and Country Club and in June, his first major exhibition will take place in Montreal. 

In July, the Xavier Cadeau Gallery in New York will be featuring some of his work for their "Grand" re-opening.  
That will be preceded with a showing on Canada Day (July 1) when he will 

be sharing the spotlight with celebrated Canadian artist, Yolanda Van der Kolk, who also lives in Panama.

The CanadaPLUS Club (www.Canadaplus club.com) is staging and art show in conjunction with its Canada Day celebration, and will be inviting members and their guests to show their own works of art, in whatever medium they have chosen during their “retirement”. {jathumbnail off}