Opportunities

E. during nap   sketchbook

E. during nap   sketchbook

for sketching abound, albeit some are safer to me than others.  For me, drawing and painting are solitary endeavors, moments where I can truly feel that which is before me.  Sketching in public invites not only conversation, but judgement as well.  My R-brain wishes for solitude and the self-nurturing that comes from this silent communion.  And, yes, it is like a religious experience for me.  The subject is our 3-year-old grandson, an extremely active and rambunctious boy, who literally crashed during his nap time on the couch at the beach.  His body melded into the soft surface.  The second pose was more difficult.  As he moved and adjusted his body, his hat fell off, and his head was in such an awkward position that it appeared almost disjointed.  I checked and rechecked...all seemed correct.  What a beautiful moment!

Drip Castles

S and K   oil/canvas   30 x 40 x 1.5

Some beach scenes are archetypal...they are repeated time and time again and hold a sweet place in our memory banks.  This painting was done many many years after my son and dear friend patiently dripped oodles of sand ribbons into piles of magic.  I think that these castles require patience as well as deferred gratification as compared to those using molds.  The sand::water ratio must be just right.  I spent some sweet hours recently recreating a castle of my own.  As it dried, the sparkling grains stimulate a sense of wonder.  Further drying creates small holes almost uniformly throughout, adding to their mystique.

I think that many life lessons are inherent in their creation.  Cook yourself up a bit of magic...try one.