Marcos Vose actually lives in the tree house of his mind overlooking water falls, tropical-rain forests, white-faced monkeys, majestic macaws, silent panthers and red-eyed frogs under blue skies, white puffy clouds and day moons. He has many paintings that reveal his address but no photographs — for his world becomes reality at the end of his paintbrush.

Rarely does anyone describe a fine-art painter as an illusionist such as David Copperfield, David Blaine or Criss Angel, but Mr. Vose floats objects in 3-dimentions on a flat wall. His magical murals and ‘portals’ grace the entrances of hotel lobbies, bars and restaurants, private homes and exterior walls throughout Ft. Lauderdale in South Florida where he estimates he painted about 1,200 scenes over 20 years. Then he came to Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. In Jaco, he says he’s painted about 100 ‘portals’ and many other tropical murals throughout this beach town.

Vose’s use of perspective, light and shading tricks the mind. His French-style of painting is called “Trompe I’ Oeil” meaning to “fool the eye.”

“My mission as a artist is to transform an otherwise dull unbecoming wall — maybe in a blighted area of town and turn it into a   that uplifts the viewer into a whole new dimension of an awe-inspiring reality,” Vose says of his work.

“Whoa,” is often the first response when someone sees a Vose ‘portal’ for the first time. His large underwater environment scenes with sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and colorful tropical fish topped off with a beautiful mermaid are so real it’s just like going to the local aquarium.

To say Vose’s work is extreme would be putting it mildly. He has his own famed ‘Madonna’ – type painting named ‘Angelina’ – a stunning, show-stopping perfection of a young girl with those tropical bright-blue-green eyes that follow you around the room. That one ‘Angelina’ is not for sale.

Jaco Beach has been Marcos’ home for three years and he fits in along with the rest of Jaco’s colorful characters that give this beach town a unique flavor. Undoubtedly he is a cross between the late-great painter Salvador Dali and Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges. Some of his self-portraits are as weird as Dali’s. You just have to shake your head. There’s no understanding some of this man’s creations, but they all bring a reaction and that’s what art is all about.

“For my condo in Jaco I bought two of Marcos’ palm art faces with those haunting eyes …everyone that comes over always comments about how unusual they are,” said Joseph Selim, of Montreal, Canada. “I’ve known him several years. He’s different.”

If you were to witness how Vose paints – the mess he makes with all those little paint jars, his pallet and little bits of rags and whatever – you would be sure to wonder how he gets anything done, but he does. His work is all about foundations and layers. The best advice for anyone hiring Vose — is tell him what you want and leave him be. Then have an unveiling party with your friends for that first amazing look.

Vose’s work brings real art into people’s homes and businesses that just doesn’t hang in a frame on the wall but is part of the home sealed under a protective clear coating that will being enjoyment, peace and harmony for years.

“I met Marcos about three years ago and saw his amazing work. I brought Marcos in when I recently repainted the interior of my beach front rental home Casa Rio Mar… he likes to drink beer while he works … he’s a sight alright. When he first walked in he said it ‘looks like a hospital … let’s make this a fun place – Costa Rica style’ and he did,” said Jim Uebelher. “Mark made his mark throughout the home with his colorful tropical accents and of course I had to have one of his steamy ‘portals’ that everyone says it looks into another world. Marcos and I have thrown back many beers while he painted inside my home and since. He’s still ridin’ around on that bicycle I gave him a few years back.”

Having come from a family of fine artists plus a father in the advertising business, Marcos said he started young.

“I learned how to paint using oils, but now nine times out of 10 I use acrylics,” Vose commented. “I do art for art’s sake and to survive.”

During Vose’s interview with The Costa Rica Star at the Bealtle Bar in Jaco for this story, Vose brought several of his eerie palm art faces and sold them all to visiting tourists. He really can’t keep up with demand for his work because there is only one Marcos Vose.