Before summer begins to fade. . .

Dunes  .  8 x 10  .  oil on linen canvas
Available in my Etsy shop

Yeah, I know summer has it's typical HOT August month to go, but the light is changing here (already!) in North Carolina.  I did a couple of small, quick paintings this past month thinking of summer and the beach, and wanted to post them before leaves begin to fall! 

 Having lived 50 miles from the beach for so many years, then actually across the street from the beach - well, I can honestly vouch for my beach cred.  A friend recently moved TO the beach - I LEFT all traces of beach and moved back to the seasons.  In truth, we all have our centers of gravity, and I've about decided mine is firmly with the earth - I say "about" because the minute I walk a beach at sunset I become an instant liar. 

What's important (I'm thinking out loud now) is that we seek out that which nourishes our very being, our soul - hence, the flocking to the beach in the summer, the love of the mountains in the fall, the silent drift of snow in winter.  The natural world is our gentle mother, our gate keeper, calling out to the beating of our battered hearts and minds.  Sitting on the rim of the Grand Canyon is a beyond words experience, resoundingly spiritual.  If we could bottle it. . .Well, you get my point.  Maybe that's why paintings of landscape dominate galleries and buyer's minds. How fortunate that we have beautiful memories of escape to the natural world.  

Anna Maria Sunset  .  8 x 10  .  oil on linen canvas
Available in my Etsy shop

Hope your summer has been and will continue to be peachy, with trips planned to the natural world to round this season out.  

I have a couple of commissions ahead of me at the moment and won't be able to share them with you until they are received and permission is granted.  Please feel free to contact me if you are thinking of a commission for this Christmas - now is the time to begin the process!