New England Delights

Ah, summer in Maine. New England strawberries are sugary jewels, red all the way through. Unlike the crunchy white ones with red skin found in other parts of the US, at any time of year. Old fashioned peppermint stick ice cream was a childhood favorite (and still is). Lobster chowder, my first reward for making it to the coast, all the way from New Mexico.

I asked the cashier at the lobster pound in Belfast if it was a right or left to Stonington. He hadn't heard of it and had to call to one of the cooks in the back. The cook went still and wide eyed when I told him where I was going. He said you take a right and you drive and you drive and you drive until you just can't drive anymore. It was only an hour away.

Fog

The foggy days were some of my favorites. Summer is just beginning on my blog, while in reality, summer is coming to an end. I'm living about two months ahead of the journey I'm sharing here, my blog is following behind, like the tail of a comet.

Tidal Pool #6

The last two tidal pools were done on watercolor paper, while the first ones were done on newsprint. I prefer the color and softness of the newsprint ones, but the sturdiness of the ones done on watercolor paper.

Tidal Pool #5

Tidal Pool #4

As I painted, I thought about how Georgia O'Keeffe honed in on detail. She nearly gave up on art making after her academic training and the need to make commercial art to support herself. She came back to life when she discovered the work of Arthur Wesley Dow, and then began to create the work she is famous for.

As I painted, I wondered. Was the way she painted just the way she saw things and couldn't see any other way? Or was it a way that she taught herself to see?

Tidal Pool #3

Tidal Pool #2

John Marin was on my mind as I painted this tidal pool. I found a book of his work at the Stonington library, and was struck by a piece called "White Wave." I did a search for it to show the image, but couldn't find it. It was simply the detail of one white wave, rolling to shore. It was beautiful and I was blown away by how he noticed, or dared to paint, just that one detail. It was after seeing that painting that I let go of being overwhelmed with how to paint the landscape, and honed in on the small tidal pools around me.