October, Ocracoke
Oil on canvas, 16x20
I love the wind in this painting, and the sky, and the feeling of a raw, strong October day at the edge of the Atlantic. The muted colors of early Autumn, the bright bits like memories of summer, the feeling of change coming, in the air, I see and feel these all in this painting, and I remember.
And I love the way the dunes rise and fall, like vertebrae on the spine of the earth. I went to the Outer Banks (this was a few years ago by now) thinking I would paint the ocean and the waves - but what called to me was the sand, the dunes, the ground and the sky.
I had a chance to go back and look at some photos from the Outer Banks and Ocracoke, and painted a couple of them again. This one will be in my upcoming show in Williamsburg; another that I painted is going to the J. Gallery of Fine Art, in High Point, NC. It's a new gallery for me, and I am excited.
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LORI CHOZIK RUNS Center Framing and Art in West Hartford Center, CT, and over the years, I've grown to love her and her family. So it made me very sad to hear that Lori's mom, Shirley, had died this past week. Lori's dad, Harvey, died in the winter, not quite a year ago.
Center Framing and Art was the first commercial gallery that accepted my work, and Lori has been a fantastic supporter of me and my art for years. She sells my paintings regularly, and has helped me develop a wonderful group of collectors and fans.
Years ago, when I was just starting out as a painter, Harvey and Shirley were having health issues and really needed someone to be there for them during the days. I ended up with the job, and absolutely fell in love with Lori's parents.
Harvey was funny, and dry, and very kind. Shirley was sweet and loving and also very funny. Both Lazinsks had tremendous personal stories. They were self-made successes, Harvey as a teacher and founder of a tutorial program, and Shirley as the brains and businesswoman who started and ran Center Framing and Art. And she did it at a time when women just did not start their own businesses.
We hung around together, mostly. We shopped and cooked, we went for walks and drives, we drank tea, we watched TV, and we talked a lot. Harvey and Shirley would reminisce, and they would tease each other, and banter, and talk about their family and how much they loved them. They quizzed me about my family, and Peter, and the dogs. We shared our days, and they enriched my life beyond measure.
It makes me sad to know that these two fine people are no longer walking the earth. I am honored to have known them, and to have spent so many hours with them. This world is a poorer place without them.
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Dog of the Day
It's Shannon Ferguson's dog Tinker! Isn't he adorable?
If you want your pet to be the Dog of the Day, send a jpg of him or her to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com
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