Experiencing Joy Through Art

   Good morning! I hope this first Wednesday of September finds you well. I recently returned from a trip to the coast of southern Maine…a tradition my family and I have kept every August for 38 years in a row. We stay in a small seaside resort town called Ogunquit which has one of the most unique beaches I have ever seen.

   The gentle slope of the land combined with the larger tides of being further north, make a beach that becomes a vast plain of interesting and varying sand textures at low tide. The beauty of the area with its combination of sandy beaches and jagged rocks jutting into the water always inspires me as an artist.

   It’s no small coincidence that Ogunquit is also a thriving art community with many galleries and its own Ogunquit Museum of American Art. But my conneciton to it is much more personal. I was 5 the first time my parents and I happened across the small New England resort town and for us it was love at first sight. We returned the last week of every August since without fail. Each year as I grew older through childhood, high school and college, Maine was always there every summer, waiting like an old friend.

   When I moved to Southern California in 1997 the tradition continued and still does. One of the things I enjoy most about Ogunquit is that it barely changes. Except for small details the town is almost exactly as it was when I first saw it in 1977. 

   Now as an artist and an adult, the vacation has taken on a new aspect for me…One of artistic inspiration. For several years I have taken a traveling art kit with me to do sketches and small works on location. While I would love to do more extensive work, traveling on an airplane with a boatload of art supplies is nearly impossible. However, I can get a lot of great photos and quick studies to bring back to my studio in Anaheim and paint from. 

   There is nothing quite like the seaside to inspire the artist in each of us. We have some deeper past connection to the sea as that is where we once all came from. The salt air, the sand, the rocks never fail to make me want to pick up a brush and paint! It is my wish over the next few months to share with you this year’s paintings inspired by my recent excursion to Ogunquit. Be sure to look for those soon!