Spiral of Fall

Spiral of Fall

Oil on canvas, 10x10

sold

I still don't like how short these cold days are. And I don't like how cold these short days are, either.

This morning, it was 28 degrees - way chillier than the average temperature here in January. And yesterday, for a moment, it snowed. Well, there was snow in the air. Flakes, at least.

Here, in Wachapreague, the earliest sunset of the year comes at 4:44 p.m. We will hit that on Dec. 3, and will stick with that same sunset time through Dec. 11. Then, the sunset starts getting later again. So while Dec. 21 is the shortest day of the year, a later sunset is already well on its way by that date.

Want to check your sunset times? Click here to get to http://www.sunrisesunset.com/

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THIS PAINTING is part of a project idea, an experiment that's taking me into new territory.

 "Colors of the Spirit," which I posted earlier in the month, is a sort of companion piece, another step in this project. Both are in unusual (for me) color palettes, and both have, to my eyes, an interesting autumnal sensibility, the dark days, the long nights, the thin November light.

"Colors of the Spirit" is up for auction on Daily Paintworks - you can reach the auction by clicking here. If you want both paintings, please drop me an email - carrieBjacobson@gmail.com - and we'll talk price and delivery and all that jazz.

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Dog of the Day

A couple weeks ago, the Times Herald-Record, the newspaper that kicked me out of journalism, eliminated the jobs of yet another bunch of talented and experienced journalists. One of them is Mike Carey, who'd worked at the Record for decades. On a whim, I searched for Mike Carey on Facebook. I didn't find him (he is about the unlikeliest Facebook person alive), but I did find a bunch of interesting-looking Mike Careys, and one of them had this dog as his profile pic. Isn't this little guy adorable? 

Want your pet to be the dog of the day? Send me a jpg at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

Colors of the Spirit - and Time, Time, Time

Colors of the Spirit

Oil on canvas, 10x10

sold

On this first day of Standard Time - as opposed to Daylight Saving Time - I ended up waking at a reasonable time, 5:30, instead of the ultra-stupid 4:30 that I really didn't want as my waking time. Of course, the times were the same times, but the change made me feel a little better about it, a little less anguished. 

For all the people like me, who wake at the crack of dawn or before, the shift to standard time should be good. And it is. I love that dawn will come earlier, that I can get painting earlier, that the morning will not be as dark for as long. 

But I recognize that I'm in the minority. As much as I appreciate the morning light, I'd be a happier person if we could just keep Daylight Saving Time all year. 

We aren't really an agrarian society any more, so we don't really need that morning light. Yes, school starts early, but there would be few days in which kids would be waiting for the bus in the dark.  Sure, in northern Maine and northern New York, there would be more - but not that many more. Arizona doesn't do this time change stuff. Alaska doesn't. In Canada, Saskatchewan doesn't. China doesn't. 

It's bad enough that our daylight hours are cut by the very facts of planetary rotation. Is it really necessary to have sunset come at 5 p.m.? Even I, who loves the dawn, would gladly give it up for another hour of evening light. 

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THE TITLE of today's painting comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." 

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HERE'S SATURDAY'S sunset, across the field behind our home in Wachapreague. 

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Dog of the Day

Yes, OK, it's the same kitten. But she was so cute! And today, her new owner came by and took her off to her new life. Phyllis was supposed to come and get the kitty on Monday, but just couldn't wait. She got the OK from the hotel owner, and that was that. It made my heart glad to know that the new kitty's mama was so excited to get her. And yes, I must admit, I fell a little in love with the little thing.