It's Going to Be OK

Song - It's Gonna Be OKAY by The Piano Guys

Point Reyes National Seashore in California 

Breathe....and again......breathe in that salty ocean air and relax

Summer Pelican's & Anemone's

Song -The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti & Spearhead

 On Wednesday, my friend Jill, took me to Muir Beach for a belated birthday gift.

 

We stopped at the Pelican Inn for lunch before heading to the beach.

 

We used to go here quite often in our 20's and if you have never been.....well it's a place that is an inn, a restaurant and a bar but it's done up like an old English pub - the decor as well as the food.

They usually have a big roaring fire going but I think because it's summer they have the 

fireplace filled with candles.

 

Jill and I sat outside in the back courtyard because it was such a beautiful day.

After a leisurely lunch and a glass of wine we headed down the lane to the beach.

It was beautiful....filled with people enjoying sunshine, waves and each other.

See these muddy "donuts" above?

They are actually sea anemone's and if you gently stick your finger in the center 

they will slowly close up thinking they have caught a fish. 

 But if you are Jill and jab them, they will squirt water out at you!!!  

Wish I had caught that on my camera!

But when they open to the tide, they look like this.....

.....and this.....

.....and this!!!  Fun huh?

We saw other bits of animal life at the ocean.

 

The rocks were all loaded with muscles and other sea creatures.

 

 And the giant rock in the water had some yellow and orange plants.

 

I was thinking Iceberg but the petals look like starfish and the flowers are too tall.

Not sure what it is.

Hallowed out old crab shells looked like they were watching us. 

Heading back in the afternoon, Jill noticed this.....

The Farallon Islands were view able from the little road we were on 

and are 27 miles out from the coast.

 

And on the other side of the road was the above view of Marin and the Oakland Hills.

Driving in rush hour traffic we enjoyed a view of the above Sir Francis Drake 30 foot statue sculpted by Dennis Patton and located near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.

“It’s better to be sorry for what you did, 

than for what you didn’t do.” 

-- Anonymous

(sounds a lot like something my bud Jill would say)

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Song - Changes by David Bowie

In 2013 I painted a rather large canvas (30 x 40) for a show I was having with a group a artist friends that I paint with - Bay Area Studio Artists or BASA. The show was titled "Shades of California" and I painted a beach scene from my beloved Lake Tahoe.

  However, I made the umbrella RED! I thought at the time that it added a snap of color!

......And it was used for the Marketing of our show.



I never liked the painting and I couldn't put my finger on why - other than the colors of the water were too intense and maybe everything was too saturated? It was not calming like I feel when I am on this beach.

 I changed the water and made the stripes of the umbrella more defined.  Still no.....

So I have had it stored in a back room but often wondered what I could do to improve this painting.

Move forward to 2016 - last week.  I was getting ready for an upcoming show in Danville at Chow and I thought about a painting for their large wall.

 I began to work with the photo of the painting in PhotoShop.  I changed that awful purple-blue of the shadows from the chairs, removed the flip-flops (because it always made me wonder where that person went to?), and I lowered the horizon.  Better.....but.......

 Then I decided the umbrella was too stiff and needed a slight breeze.....so I changed the shape. Mmmm.....still not working.

 I changed it to blue, then taupe and finally solid white.  Better but not feeling light and breezy!

Then yesterday morning I noticed our white canvas umbrellas on the back deck and snapped a photo.  I could see the colors coming through the under part of it as well as the changes in the fabric as it moved from post to post.  I also received a catalog the day before with a selection of umbrellas so I combined my backyard photo and the catalog stripes and here it is...............

 I added the hint of a turquoise line at the horizon and poof! So soothing....

 I feel so much better.  It was a tough challenge but I stuck with it and am very happy with how it turned out.  Time to give it a title.....

"Remember…. The entrance to the sanctuary is in you." - Rumi