Anais Nin

“Whenever you do something that is not aligned with the yearning or your soul—you create suffering.”

Lewes Harbor, complete

Finally done - 12 x 20 oil, $825

These waters are now spilling over, due to the N'oreaster/hurricane that's currently here. Get your galoshes on!

In progress

Finally back to painting. This time of year (end of summer), my painting slows down. Not sure why, but it happens every year. Combine that with Daddy's passing, and the paint just dried up. I'm back to it now, and enjoying working on this one. This is Roosevelt Canal, and a place Daddy and I fished from many, many times. We'd launch the boat here and go out left toward the bay or right toward the back bays and canals for crabs.  Some of my best memories are being on the water with him.

Goodbye Daddy. I love you. Forever.

Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Show - this weekend and next weekend

I will be showing/selling this weekend at the RAL outdoor Show. Hope to see you there!

Random thoughts and ponderings

 The past month has been nothing short of a shit show. There have been some really amazingly great moments, THANKFULLY, but has been peppered with various piles of poo being thrown at a hundred fans.

I have learned to hate the way the Hospice Center smells. Great place, beautifully decorated. Smells like death.

The city of Rehoboth has its collective head stuck up its ass. Street cleaning, STREET CLEANING, of Route 1 - the main drag here, mid-day, peak season. Backs traffic up for miles. In 93 degree heat. For no good reason. If the cleanliness of Route is SO VITAL, do it at 11 p.m.,  not in the middle of the day. Just absolute ridiculousness. And on a related matter - DO NOT SEND THE TRASH TRUCK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOARDWALK AT 7 P.M. IN JULY. Omg, I can't believe this actually has to be said. Really? The boardwalk is painfully narrow, and elbow to elbow with tourists. Hey, here's and idea....let's take the trash truck down it. Right. Now. I'm no rocket scientist, but if trash has to be emptied...maybe, just maybe, send sanitation workers by foot to change out bags and meet the trash truck at the end of the street?

I don't understand the "cutting" that young girls are doing. Maybe young boys are doing it too. Don't get it. I get the angst, just not that as an outlet. Please stop. Therapy. Meditation. Prayer. Journaling. Something as an alternative, please.

I have some of the best friends ever. They are always here for me and I for them. They have been my rescue net on more than one occasion, and I am forever grateful.

This is the song of the summer for me. Right here. KickASS.

Another evening at Gordon's

I am a firm believer that painting the WW II towers is a cheesy, touristy thing to do. However....this is one of my favorite views around here - the view from the overlook on the trail. There is a tower in this view. I added it, but I was tempted to leave it out. This one was done with brush only, no palette knife.

And a little more plein air

Walked down the trail at Gordon's Pond after work yesterday with my plein air cart. There are so many great views there, you can just stop anywhere and have a great view to paint. The weather was perfect, the sky was clear. The only issue were the flies and the horseflies. The were incessantly attacking my lower legs. I felt sympathy for horses and cows in fields.

This is mostly done with palette knife. The brush came in a couple times, but not often. 24 x 28.

A little plein air

Stopped by Surf Avenue after a big storm moved through and did a quick plein air. Working on a larger piece tonight after work, hopefully at Gordon's Pond. This one is about 10 x 10.

St. Peter's

Good day at St. Peter's this year. I sold 4 paintings and now am scrambling to get new paintings completed before the RAL Outdoor Show in August.  These paintings sold: (Plus one more I cannot find a picture of.)

Dewey Dusk

Complete - and sold.  :)

St. Peter's Art Show, downtown Lewes, this Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. A great way to spend the Fourth!

Angels weeping...everywhere.

In progress - Dewey Sunset

This one is probably 80% done. Lots to do in the water still. Still working on a title. Having some fun!

a little plein air

 Tiny canvases from a post-work plein air day at the RAL.
3 x 5 and 5 x 7.

Juggling, priorities and the calm before the storm

Some days it's just nearly impossible to do everything you want to do. Some days, it's easier to just head home after work and actively ignore all the little niggling thoughts of....you know, you need to replace the garage keypad and you never did pull those weeds or clean the fridge. How about getting up from watching Arrow and take care of those things? On these kinds of days, my subconscious usually responds with a "oh, shut the hell up and let me relax." I've learned to indulge these moments, because usually what follows is a super productive day with plenty of energy to do everything that needs to be done. Life is short, nothing you "have to do" ever really goes away. There will be time (or not) to do them.

Memorial Day was a huge influx of people, but now it's quiet again. Plenty of parking spaces in town (during the week anyway). These two weeks are the calm before the storm. Schools haven't let out yet, well - some have - so the locals have a little reprieve. BUT, in two weeks, it will be like flipping a switch and the onslaught will begin. It will peak at July 4 and stay strong till mid-August. And it will fly by in the blink of an eye. Now is when my focus becomes sharp, because I want to feel and notice and appreciate every single day of summer, as I know how short it can be. Savor, savor. And I know this summer is going to be a memorable one.

Summer 2015

Well, it's still technically spring (and the temps today certainly felt like it, in the 60's.) But, Memorial Day really kicks off the summer traffic/visitors/banner planes, etc. here in Rehoboth/Lewes. We have the bikers riding 3 and 4 across, against traffic, across trails, you get the idea. Those damned canopy bikes are back, and the stores on the boardwalk are all humming with action. Oh yeah, the meters are up too.

Tomorrow is the Masser 5 miler, the kick off to the summer racing series. I'm not excited about the 7:30 a.m. start time, but it does help to beat the traffic. Sounds like it will be a cool morning too, which will make for pleasant running. Happy weekend!

Kill it with fire.

Today's brain worm.

Why would a woman go to Hooter's....with her husband/boyfriend? Why?

The loves of my life. Happy Mother's Day!

Boston 2015

Well, here's the recap on Boston.

I slept like a baby the night before, even knowing what the weather forecast was calling for. At that point, there's not a thing you can do but suck it up and go.

The race is very well organized, shuttles to Athlete's Village, school busses lined up for an eternity to take everyone to the start line in Hopkinton, a cute little town 26 miles away, of course.

As the gun went off, the skies opened up. So we got to start off wet. There was a steady NE wind (headwind) the whole way, and the temps were in the forties. Not a great combination. The rain was constant the entire race, with some downpours and some times where it was just a sprinkle. I hope the people who wore shorts used lots of Body Glide, as chafing is always an issue in a race, but when your body is wet and exposed, chafing becomes more of a problem.

The photo above is from Wellesley, obviously. The highlight of the race was passing all the Wellesley students who were full of energy, even standing outside in that weather. (I give the spectators big thumbs up, as it was truly a miserable day to be out there.) The moment above is when I saw my friends and my daughter. It was so great to have them there.

The hills in the race, which I heard so much about, were plentiful. They weren't quite as big as I pictured, but they were much, much longer than I anticipated. Heartbreak Hill was pretty much what I expected. What I didn't expect was how shredded my legs would feel from the hills. Usually my hamstrings are what hurt the most after a marathon. After this one, it was quads. My understanding is that was due to the downhills.

I have to say that I was very happy to see the finish line in sight. After mile 13, I felt every mile. My time was not nearly what I hoped for and was my worst marathon time ever, at 4:05. I am just considering all the factors - weather, hills, # of people - and being kind to myself about it. It was an experience, a bucket list item, and something I will always remember, especially having friends and family there to share it with.

Boston Strong! Back to painting!   :)

the course!

Taper

Second 20 done. 13 days till Boston. Still plenty of mileage this week, but coming down. Getting a little nervous, but feel ready!

A month out..

Less than a month before Boston. Training is coming along very well. There have been some definite bumps in the road, including one fall that beat me up pretty well. One more 20 miler to do before the taper. Some nerves when I think about it, for sure, but I feel good and feel ready. I'm excited.

Training Updates

So, as predicted - this has been quite a challenging winter to be training for the Boston Marathon. There has been cold, ice, sleet, slush, mud, heavy winds...pretty much everything except nice weather. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and at least I don't live in Boston! I think they're still digging out.

These are photos from a 12 mile run that started with snow, then changed to sleet mid way. That's a frozen iPod cord, and frozen hat, hair, jacket, skin, etc.

I managed not to slip on any of the snow/ice to the point where I fell. Now that all that is melted, I fell. On a rock. Outcome, not so great, but nothing broken, and I did get up and run 9 more miles.

At least the training has been interesting. 20 this Sunday, hoping for "uneventful".

Monkeywrench

Just one thing before I quit
I never wanted any more
than I could fit inside my head
I still remember
every single word you said
and all the shit that
that somehow came along with it
Still there's one thing that comforts me
Since I was always chained
But now I'm free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7rCNiiNPxA

Sandy - probably done.

With the exception of a few brush strokes here and there and a signature, this is complete. Full painting shown with two detail shots. This is a breaking wave from Hurricane Sandy a few years ago.

Eyes Wide Shut

So, I closed the eyes.

Courage Unmasked

These photos show the progression of a project for "Courage Unmasked" which is an event to benefit Tunnell Cancer Society and mouth/throat/neck cancers.

The mask is a plastic mesh worn by the patient during radiation. Artists are transforming the masks and they can be seen in whole at an event/exhibition at the Rehoboth Art League in September.

I started by layering the mask with torn sheets of rice paper, adhering it to the mask with acrylic medium. Then a purple tissue paper lined the same way inside the mask to give it a vascular feeling through the white rice paper. Next came torn pages from the book "When Things Fall Apart" and more rice paper. Next the mask was bolted to a black wrapped canvas and more tissue and rice paper were added, along with the word "free" seen beneath the mask.

This has been a very organic, creative experience, something beyond painting and for a worthy cause. Keep your eye on the RAL website as well as Beebe Hospital's site for more info on the fall event.

What a difference a day makes

It's so nice when a random 50-60 degree shows up in February. Today the sun shone bright, the wind stayed light and the temps were springlike. The trail was muddy from all the ice melting, but it sure felt good to first take off the hat, then the jacket, and to run in a t-shirt. It made 11 miles feel so much better. The day made my heart lift a little, knowing the spring is coming.

21-30 degrees

So a six mile run in the sun makes the temps hovering around 30 a little more tolerable, but HOLY CRAP IT'S COLD. I ran to Gordon's Pond, past the frozen ponds and back bays. They were beautiful, the sky was blue, there were some birds, but HOLY CRAP IT WAS COLD. And then there's some weird phenomenon that happens when you're cold after running and you take a hot shower, you body feels like it's been bitten by a thousand mosquitoes. Everything itches like crazy for a few minutes, your skin is bright red and you just scratch and scratch.

Come on summer.

Boston update

So this is week two. And....it's going. I've been able to get some outside runs, but more inside runs. The weather is, well, sucky. Today was literally blowing a gale, and the wind chill was bitter. The weekend weather looks pretty decent though, so I should be able to get 7 on Saturday and 12-14 on Sunday.

This is weekend 2 for Leading Ladies at Possum Point Theatre in Georgetown. I have had more fun on this show than any other. It's just hysterical. I've never seen a standing ovation (two of them to be exact) for a comedy before. It's just right for the winter soul.

Here is an update on the Downtown Milford Riverfront boat project I'm working on. Now that I have the "base" established, I will start adding the underwater elements. Next week looks wide open, hope to have a lot done!

Boston Training - Day 1

My art blog is going to double as a Boston Marathon training log for the next 12 weeks. Boston 2015 will be my sixth marathon, but my first at Boston, so I'm kind of excited. I do prefer training for fall marathons, as it's not easy to train during the middle of winter.

So today was an easy day. 3 miles. This training program has me running six days a week with progressing mileage. So no problem with 3, right? Well yeah, except there's a northeast wind blowing and the last mile included rain. Fortunately I invested in a new Underarmour jacket that's rain resistant and has a HOOD, which was really nice.

Two comments as I ran today:

"Hope you get done before the rain!"  (I didn't.)
and
"I admire you!" (that one changed my whole outlook.)

New band for me...awesome sound!

St. Paul and the Broken Bones