The Breeze is Back

The Breeze is Back

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Last week was hot. Too hot to do much of anything other than dip feet in the cold sea and hope for rain. 

What a difference a cool breeze makes. Yesterday laundry was hanging again and it felt like what our family calls "a typical Maine day," the hallmark of which is bright, blue, and breezy. It's a joke, of course, because it so rarely what we get. But in the midst of winter when we dream of Maine, it is always a "typical Maine day." 

Not much is how we imagine it to be. In the studio I have been trying again to loosen up, try new things,  not worry about making mistakes. Not much is getting finished, but it feels like progress. We'll see.

Jan's Blue Vase

Jan's Blue Vase

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

So here is how things work on the island. We invite Jan, who is a master gardener, to join us for dinner. She brings two bags of home grown lettuce for a delicious salad and a red, pink, and purple flower bouquet in a blue vase, whose handle is broken off. The vase was headed for the rocks on the beach to some day come back to us as sea glass. But for now, it is the perfect vessel for Jan's flowers which along with the left over lettuce are reminders of the great evening we shared earlier in the week. When the flowers are finished blooming I will get to break the vase on the rocks and if I'm lucky, will be the one to harvest the sea glass some day down the road when it is ready.

Island Church

Island Church

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

It was a sultry Sunday evening when the island gathered at the church to hear Randy Miller and James Prendergast play fiddle and guitar. The warm air swirled around carrying soulful sounds of the past while everyone tapped a foot or finger in time to the music. The church is dark inside, with its wood wains coating and well worn pews. But the intense yellow light that pours in through the tall stained glass windows reflects the goodness that gathers there and spreads through the community. This was one of those times when we felt the past in the present and were just glad to be here.

Squall at Sundown

Squall at Sundown

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

The last two evenings have brought squalls just as the sun was setting. 

Weekend Race

Weekend Race

Oil on Wood

6"X6"
SOLD

The weekend was warm and sunny and everyone was out soaking it in. We sat around a lot. Sailboat races put on a good show both days, and we watched with relish from our deck. No wind one minute, blowing 20 the next. I certainly do like watching weather come and go from the comfort of home. Right now it is pouring down rain. The sun is shining through a wall of grey on its way to setting. I am inside watching the show. And there is nowhere I would rather be.

The Sailors Set Sail

The Sailors Set Sail

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

It was sunny and just enough breeze to set sail right from the mooring yesterday when the sailors headed West for the week. I have been painting ever since. Except when I rode my bike to the end of the island and stopped to talk to friends along the way and picked up the mail and bought ice cream at the store. Rosie is here. She gets walked and talked. It's hot and all the doors are open. A little coolness is wafting this way. Just about perfect.

From the Studio

From the Studio

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

 There is an osprey that often sits at the top of an old dead tree outside my studio. I suspect he is one of a pair that have a nest on the spindle around the point and I wonder if he comes here to take time off from all the hubbub at home. It has been hard to tear myself away from all the goings on around my house too. Things to fix, walks to take, people to see, boats coming and going on the water, and summer sun to soak in. But once I get here and start painting, I feel so good, I think, "what took you so long?" Sometimes you just have to get away to get back to who you are.

July 5th

July 5th

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

There's a certain sadness when the July 4th weekend ends and friends leave the island. Back to real life that hasn't actually started yet. There are still things to fix and work routines haven't taken hold. Summer is about starting and stopping. And not knowing the plan. Seeing Sam's laundry blowing the breeze set a good course for getting a little something done. Finally.

Wedding in Paris

Wedding in Paris

Oil on Wood

8"X6"