Thursday, August 6, 2015

Burton's Bay - and a Great Knife Rack

Burton's Bay
Oil on canvas, 16x16
sold

When Peter and I moved from Connecticut to Wachapreague, one of the places that we fell in love with was this little inlet area on Burton's Bay. We went out there last week, as a hot afternoon lengthened toward evening. The place was quiet, except for the sounds of cicadas and crickets. Fiddler crabs scuttled across the sand and into the reeds. I walked into the water, muddy sand sucking at my sandals. The water was bathtub-warm, shocking for someone who grew up in New England. 

There wasn't time or light to paint in plein air, so I took a lot of photos and painted this in the studio yesterday. I really like this painting, the way the light filters through the tall pines, the amazing electric blue of the sky, the calm reflections. I'll have it with me at the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival this weekend, in Mystic, CT. I'll be at the corner of Willow and Main; stop in if you're in the area!

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Best Knife Rack Ever! 
 
My friend Heather MacLeod gave me this knife rack, and it makes me smile every time I see it. Isn't it great? Heather has an amazing imagination and more creativity in her little finger than most people have in their entire bodies, me included. See more of her stuff - and wonderful art by her husband Josef Keller, as well - by clicking here. 

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Dog of the Day 
Another thing that made me fall in love with Wachapreague was a scene I saw like this. Our little town is so small and so quiet that cats can, and do, just hang around outside on the warm afternoons. It was sweltering the day I took this photo, and I can't imagine how hot the trunk of that car was! 

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A Final Thought

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." 
- Pablo Picasso



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Love, love, love it - just fabulous!
The knife rack is cool, too, but set off my internal tape from childhood about not sticking a knife in the toaster!

carrie jacobson said...

Ellen, that's why I love the knife rack so much! It makes me think of that warning and laugh every day.

So glad you like Burton's Shores. Some day you will have to come and see the place in person.