Thursday, June 4, 2009

Going Coastal


I'm lucky enough to live close to the ocean, though the shores near me tend to be wooded slopes and seaweed encrusted rock rather than sandy beaches. I went north today, lured by the bright sky and the thought of wide blue seas. Today, cold New England resembled something out of the tropics, with deep blue and turquoise waters that rushed and frothed at the opening to the channel. My mother and I walked along a sandy spit, right to the edges of the sea. But the water was tropical in color only; average water temps are still in the high 40s/low 50s.

I love the way these rocks get tumbled smooth by the waves. There is something comforting about holding a sun-warmed rock in my hand, and running my fingers around its edges, smooth and round as eggs.


These gorgeous quahog shells were all over the beach. This one was larger than my hand. We left it there for others to enjoy...

After exploring the rest of the estuary, we headed home. Now, I'm back in my study, refreshed and ready to work on some more drawings. I have a lot of photos that will make great material for paintings and sketches, and I'm feeling energized by my exposure to the sea. Sometimes I think I have a bit of mermaid, or more likely selkie, in me. I'm never as happy as when I have salt on my skin and sand beneath my fingernails. I managed both today, and am ready to bring it to life on paper...

3 comments:

Lydia said...

Catchy title! Gorgeous photos with vividly written descriptions made this a wonderful stop in my day. Plus, you brought back treasured memories of times at the Oregon coast with my mother. It is where we scattered her ashes after she died in 2000. . . and then a whale came alongside the boat afterward......

I can't think of the name of this movie about selkies that I loved so much. We have the VHS in our storage unit.

Wandering Alice said...

Thanks Lydia, It was a lovely day.
I can imagine that your experience with the whale must have been beautiful.
Are you thinking of "The Secret of Roan Inish"? That was a haunting movie...

Jenny said...

Wandering Alice,

What a lovely blog you have! I really like your reflections, photos and the ocean theme.

Oh, these photos make me long for cool sea breeze, as it is too hot and sunny here at the moment. Now I am actually considering taking the ferry to the Stockholm archipelago soon, inspired by your post! :)