Jan. 1, 2017, Quinby Bridge
Oil on canvas, 10x10, $125
sold
It was warm enough on January 1 to go outside and paint - and so I did! This is another view of the place that's in the painting behind the words "The Accidental Artist" at the very top of this blog. You can see in the photo below that it's a large tidal mudflat bisected by a narrow road. The tides are often very high and very low here, where the Machipongo River Empties into Hog Island Bay.
The marshes and flats that line our part of the Eastern Shore are a huge reason why I love it so much here. They attract birds and ducks all year round, and it's great to watch the ever-changing flocks. The grasses in the marshes change color, from a brilliant neon green in the spring to a deep, rich gold in the fall, to a muted muddy brown now.
The smell of the marsh is a constant source of pleasure for me, as well. That deep scent of dirt and life and decay, it's a smell many people don't like, but for me, it is a smell thick with promise, with death and life, with the whole rich wheel of existence.
I made this painting with a full feeling of celebration and gratitude. A new year, a new day, a new hour, a new chance.
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Just for fun, it's Peter and me at a birthday party for our friend, Pat.
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Dog of the Day
This guy was soaking up the sun on a Rhode Island afternoon
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A Final Thought
"If you think good work is somehow synonymous with perfect work,
you are headed for big trouble. "
- David Bayles and Ted Orland
"Art & Fear / Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking"
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