i headed out this morning, intending to go to descanso gardens up in the foothills of la canada and walk among the oak woodlands.
but the freeway onramp was closed so i took a detour. and in the middle of my detour i felt a strong undercurrent which forced me to change direction. i let myself be pulled along by the vast compass of the ocean.
after 45 minutes i found myself in the middle of a classic car rally.
half an hour later i was here.
and i walked along the shore.
collecting
shells.
a foggy marine layer made everything soft and muted.
how good it is to walk in the wet sand with the waves crashing on one side and the coastal range rising up on the other.
i walked and walked. past fisherman, surfers, swimmers.
mostly the beach was empty.
and i thought this might become my new sunday ritual.
i found a flat rock for sitting and watched the water turn blue as the fog began to break up.
i shared this video some years back and i share it again because it feels right for a sunday. and also because while i was on the beach i was thinking of this poem.
i came home and painted my shells.
oh me! oh life!
Mary Ann, thank you for sharing that wonderful poem on an awesome commercial with us, one of my fave pieces of music too. Apple just get it right somehow!
Hi Miss Moss : ) I’ve been MIA for a while : ( but I am back – YAY !!! Just wanted to pop in and say “hi” and let you know how once again, you’ve inspired me to work in one of my art journals !!! I’ve just returned from a week in San Clemente, CA, ohhhhhh how wonderful it was to see, smell, touch the ocean & beach : ) It was also grand to see my little 6 month old grand-baby – like all Grammies know, he’s perfect in every way, ha : ) Soo, back to your wonderful post – love your shells, so I think I’ll do a shell lay-out for the week I spent at the beach : )
Thank you as always for your wonderful wit and charm and especially your fabulous stories !!!!
Blessings – Sandra in AZ : )
Mmm…I’d forgotten about that video. To hear Robin Williams voice again! “And the human race is filled with passion….but poetry, beauty, romance, love…these are what we stay alive for.” Good stuff. And so true. To hear the sound of the ocean, to feel the pull of it, to witness that beauty, to know freedom. That’s what life’s about isn’t it. Sometimes I forget.
yes robin williams! from dead poet’s society. oh so good!
very inspiring!! Thanks.
Oh Mary Ann. You remind me of a baby sea turtle, who, when it first pokes it’s nose into the world heads straight for the sea. I think the surf calls them. And you…
Hoping you are fortified for the week ahead . How luxurious to be able to act on an impulse, I love the freedom of driving . Have a very good school week!
Love collecting shells! When we lived in Puerto Rico we went shelling almost every weekend. I decorated picture frames. Make a couple of lamps and also make shell candles of several types. I think shells are just a wonderful example of natures art. AND you really caught that in your art!!!
Love your meanderings…. the sea shell paintings are wonderful!
You’re like reading a good book….you always take us someplace else…..Thank you
I can’t quite imagine living without the ocean so close. Or, for that matter, happening onto the occasional classic car show. (Actually, my husband’s passion, at least one of them, is vintage VWs. We have a ’55 and a ’56.)
Love the Walt Whitman poem. It is delightful that people are still writing poems, even me at times. Thanks for the trip to the beach and the classic car rally. I went to a classic car show and painted one yesterday. One with a flames paint job! Just to challenge myself because I find cars hard to draw and get the lines right. Today I spent the morning in meditation and dharma talk and the afternoon finishing packing up all the contents of my kitchen cabinets. The refinishers come tomorrow to start refinishing the kitchen cabinets. And I leave for Italy on Saturday, flying to Venice.
Such a beautiful day!
Ah the life and times of the doll Mary Ann Moss . So good to us invisible friends.
Thank-you to the one who made a comment about the parrots of Telegraph Hill. Delightful reading ensued.
Oh, life is good!
How wonderful to be able to go to the beach for the days outing. Thank you for taking me with you. And your shell painting is better than mine! Mucho better.
oh, the ocean after the fog lifted… and your shell paintings!
xoxo