day 2 of my 1 week vacation found me at hendry's beach where i lolled about like one of the off-leash dogs. i chased some birds, found a ball, got some little tar balls on my feet, saw a crab, soaked my pants that were rolled up, then sanded them up real good.
i carefully studied the bird tracks looking for a pattern.
i found one, but can't share the full meaning with you. it's between me & the sea birds.
i stayed in an old motel across from the ocean. tomorrow i'll show you the scene i painted while looking out my window.
on day 3 of my one-week vacation, in other words today, i strolled down some stairs to an out-of-the-way cove. i had my fishing hat, big sunglasses, trader joes bag with my sketchbook, watercolors, pen, paintbrush, old plastic jar of marshmallow fluff for water. sounds like a lot but it was hardly anything. i parked my arse on a nice flat cement wall and painted the scene on the left then the one on the right. it was so good to be out in the mild sunshine with sea spray and birds i thought about handing out slips of paper with a multiple-choice option for everyone to select their favorite of 3 beachy sketchbook pages. but my poll would have been skewed as it wasn't a large enough sample. one nice young paddle boarder flashed me a big smile right before he paddled off across the calm glassy ocean. 2 people doing extra fun things on a tuesday morning in august.
Those are the days. Not the big celebratory party ones. Those little quiet ones in nature, by yourself, making contact with another human being (the paddle board dude) in silence understanding that all you need is right in that moment. Bliss.
And mysterious sign written in sand … perhaps we will understand some day …
Beautiful pictures … Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and the wonderful ocean.
I just found your blog & LOVE it! I saw something about a class my friend Jackie was taking & googled it… THERE you are. Can’t wait to read more. LOVE your watercolors. I’m just starting into journals so I can’t wait to see what else you say. Guess I better take some classes!
There is something so restorative for the soul when you visit the ocean. I now live in the high desert after living my childhood and young adult years on the So. Cal. coast, I miss it every day.
Like Kathrine, I think the bird tracks are a language only the birds understand.
I hope you spend these last few days doing everything you love to do. I hope you have a good school to go to.
I love looking at bird tracks too. I think your line, “i lolled about like one of the off-leash dogs” should be used in a novel! Great combination of words and paints a clear picture in my mind of your relaxing day. Enjoy the rest of the summer. I go back to school August 21 and the kids return August 25. We have a wonderful, new principal this year so I am not dreading the start of school. I am an instructional assistant for first grade special ed so thankfully I don’t have the amount of responsibilities that teachers do. I LOVE my summers off though and am SO grateful to have them! It makes me feel like I’m semi-retired. What is your status for the fall? Do you know the school you will be teaching at and what grade? I feel connected to you because of the school thing. . .and the art thing of course! There are so many stories that you have shared about school and the kids (when you were in the “rough” school) that I could relate to and I appreciated your honesty in sharing your feelings. I have also felt the joy you felt when you were in the school with the Asian kids last year. I’ve had some spectacular and memorable experiences teaching. Wishing you a blessed school year.
Let me know if you want to borrow my boogie board….
This sounds like the most wonderful way to start a day…
I schlep things around in a Trader Joe’s bag too. You are right. Hardly anything from which to make so much something. Just a little pigment and water. Have you tried ocean water to paint with? I wonder what would happen?
Doing extra fun things on a weekday is pure magic.
Sounds like heaven!
Heaven! Looks like a little piece of paradise. I, too, am totally enjoying day 3 of your one week vacation. Had lunch with friends, saw one friend’s daughter I haven’t seen in years (she is as fabulous, beautiful, engaging and funny as I remember!), had a lovely meal, came home, journaled, cooked a fine meal and just made the most Gawd-awful mess printing tissue paper with ikat patterns with my gelli plate! Fun, fun and more fun. And to top it off, I now have a big pile of wonderful printed tissue to use in my visual journal whenever the mood strikes.
Keep enjoying your vacation. I plan to!
XO
Love Hendry’s Beach, especially when The Brown Pelican restaurant was there. I would order steamers, pull out my journal and spend the afternoon – in bliss. Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Erin in Morro Bay
The bird tracks remind me of the Rosetta Stone type of cuneiform writing. Wouldn’t it be cool if it actually said something in bird speak?! LOL
Breathe in that sea air just once for me.
Aaaaaaahhhhh.
Kate J
So beautiful. Thanks for sharing- I have been dreaming of the beach here in landlocked Colorado….
Lovely day. Those bird track shadows on silver and gold look like they’re worthy of a painting. 🙂