Important information about tourism in Costa Rica - Florida

Yesterday on Instagram I shared my painting "Palace in the Clouds," and some people asked: 

@martinez_lucas.psd What did you use for reference?
@marcbanks_ Is this completely from imagination?
@s.error_ Have you made a model to help in this scene?

The answer is yes! 

For the mountain forms I draped a piece of plaster-impregnated burlap over some chunks of styrofoam, then made the buildings out of scraps of mat board hot-glued together. 

On top of all that I attached bits of white foam for the snow. Bringing that outside into the sunlight was a huge help for imagining the pattern of light and cast shadows.