Whimsical Beach Days

Meet my newest whimsical, wonky creation – A Day at the Beach. Who doesn’t love beach days? I don’t like to go into the water, but I love to walk along the beach or sit and stare while pondering the mysteries all around me. Something about the beach soothes my soul every time. The sand and the movement of the water are relaxing and peaceful. Because the beach is a happy place, this is a happy painting. It’s my first foray into the world of alcohol inks. These inks are fun to use, but I have a lot to learn about how they blend and mix with the watercolors. Also, I’m working with a new type of metallic watercolor paint from Daniel Smith. Another challenge is that I recently completed a class taught by Deb Weiers and am tyring to work on my wonky birds. The one in this picture looks more like hers, but I will add my own twist in time. I love the colors and the feel of this painting.

For some people, the starfish represents divine love. For me, it’s just cool-looking and fun. But, this symbolism of love does remind me of a story.

While I met my husband in March of 1979, it took me a long time to convince him that he couldn’t live without me. But, I was finally successful. We had been talking about getting married for quite a while when he called me one day and asked if I could stop by his house that night after work. Since I am an eternal optimist, I was certain he was going to surprise me with a new car to replace the clunker I was driving, a fun trip which he had planned for us, or even a diamond necklace. I love diamonds. I floated through the day excited about the possibilities. However, when I arrived at his house, he said he needed to find out how I felt about two issues that were important to him before we could proceed with our wedding plans. That was a downer, not very romantic, and certainly not what I was anticipating. He said there were two things I needed to unequivocally agree to before we could get married. I immediately realized this did not involve a new car, a romantic trip, or diamonds. When I asked what the two conditions were, he said, “Number 1 is that I need you to agree to make whatever sacrifices necessary in order for my two sons to get a college education, even if it means ivy-league type expenses.” He needed assurance from me that I would agree to put our lives on hold and live frugally, if need be, to guarantee their education. That was easy. I then looked at him and tentatively asked what the number two qualifier was. He said, “I don’t do wallpaper. I hate wallpaper. Don’t ever ask me to do wallpaper.” I admit I was relieved. He’s been making me laugh ever since.

Here’s to starfish and stars, beaches and wonky birds, days at the beach, and husbands who can always make us laugh. As always in my paintings, there’s a peace sign and a yin-yang to remind us of what is important as we maneuver through the crazy times. There are bright colors and light to guide us as we work through the elements.

As we remember the happy days of summer, L’Chaim!