My Friend the Lake
One thing I miss the most about Racine is Lake Michigan. Each time I make the trip back to Racine I will always visit my “friend” the lake.
One fall day in October I had needed time away from the craziness of life and took a walk down to North Beach. There was not a soul in sight. It was one of those beautifully warm Wisconsin fall days. The breeze was gentle and the skies were filled with clouds but still allowed for the light of the sun to shine through.
The calming sounds of the waves caressing the beach where the water was able to reflect the brightness of the sky gave me the sense of peace I was looking for.
Sunset on Ice
Lake Michigan has always been my favorite body of water. Every morning the sun rises over the lake to begin a new day.
The sunrise is deceiving. We think of it as a snapshot in time when the sun is visible over the horizon. The truth is it begins when we start to see it’s light. It will begin to reflect off the sky and the clouds. It will make the sky come to life with colors of purple, blues, and pinks. It will paint a vision of what we can not see when the light is not directly on the spectacular cloud formations in the sky. As it continues to make it’s way into view the colors will dance and change as it nears our vision. It will warm us with reds, oranges, and yellows until it bursts over the horizon and reflects it’s beauty on the Great Lake.
Each day is different. Each day has promise. Each moment should be cherished.
Sunset Flame
Sunset flame was a painting I did when I was not well. I had chosen a picture of warmth to paint. The view was that of through a magnify glass.
As I painted I became frustrated that I could not recreate the image I saw before me. It was when I began the bottom of the painting that my creativeness broke free. I began to paint the flowers with tones of dark greens and touched with gold. I warmed the sky with tones of yellow and gold until the sun could be felt just under the horizon. The flowers and sky began to dance before me. I had broken free from the need to recreate a vision and allowed myself to create my own vision of what I saw.
As I look at this painting today I can see the tediousness of the dark and orange grasses and the playfulness of the flowers that framed the bottom and the golden sky that frames the top.
Paris Dream
The Eiffel Tower is visible throughout much of the city of Paris.
It’s iconic structure is one of the first things tourist venture to see when going to the city of lights. The truth be told the tower never looks exactly the same on any given day or even any given hour or minute of the day.
When I was doing this painting I wanted to capture the dream like state that Paris can put you in. The pinkness of of the sky reminds me of the murmur as Parisians go about their day. The gold in the tips of the leaves of the trees and the Eiffel Tower itself symbolize the sun reflecting off the beauty that surrounds them.
I am always taken by how Parisians “live” in their city. The city is truly their living room. They entertain, gather, play, contemplate and live in their city. Viva Paris!
Mermaid For A Day
What would it be like to be a mermaid? Their long hair flowing behind them as they effortlessly swim through the ocean. How do they spend their days? Do they swim with the dolphins and tend to the coral reefs? Are they as carefree as they appear? Do they worry about those things that could do them harm? Are they the peacekeeper in the great oceans that surround us?
Oh to be a mermaid and free from all technology. Free from those things that makes us feel the weight of gravity on earth. The worries that weigh us down. The future that we will never know. The past that we can never change. Do they swim enjoying the moment they are in?
I want to be a mermaid just for one day. One day free to swim with the beauty that surrounds me. To take every moment as it comes and know that each moment passes by just as the waves pass above the mermaid as she swims.
Wind Point Light House
Night Shadow Lighthouse
