Bittersweet Beach Memories

“Beach Memories”       9” x 12”      Pastel      $100     © Sharon Lewis
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             Labor Day weekend is always bittersweet. There’s the joy of being at the beach, with the gentle sea breezes, the cries of the gulls, the hypnotic rhythm of the waves breaking on the shore. There’s the fun of surfing the waves over and over again just like I did when I was a child growing up in Florida. But then there’s the slow realization that it will probably be many, many months before we see the beach again. As much as I enjoy the advent of cooler, drier weather, I love these long days of light and I feel so lucky to live close enough to the east coast that the beach is just a relatively short drive away.

            Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

 

Summer Winds

" Summer Winds "               5" x 7"           Pastel           $50               © Sharon Lewis
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             This looks like a perfect summer day to me. It’s breezy and a bit cool out on the water but the sun is shining. You’re out on a sailboat and the only sounds you hear are the cries of the gulls, the wind blowing across your sails, and the sounds of the waves. Ahhh.

            Happy Weekend!

A Nest of a Different Color

“A Nest of a Different Color”      8” x 10”        Pastel        $75        © Sharon Lewis
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           Sometimes I just get a little crazy and have to try some different, unconventional colors for something. Maybe it’s because I’m not that fond of brownish-grey, which is what the nest’s true colors seemed to be. I may have had some encouragement from a friend of mine, Karen Margulis, a talented artist and teacher, whose photo this is.  Whatever the reason, I like the warm orange of the eggs against the purples in the nest and really enjoy the idea that as an artist I can change reality, even if only in a limited manner.

Attracts Butterflies, Resists Deer

“Blanket Flowers”    9 x 12    Pastel    $ 100     © Sharon Lewis 
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            I found these beautiful flowers when I went grocery shopping the other day and thought they might be a nice change from all of the fjords I’ve been painting. I enjoy flowers quite a bit but don’t often paint them because I never feel I quite capture their beauty. These Blanket flowers or Gaillardia grandiflora, are perfect summer flowers, with their vivid colors and their ability to attract butterflies. They also apparently resist deer and I’d love to know how since the deer that visit my yard make sure that they eat a little of everything.

          Wishing you a perfect summer weekend!

   

Fjord Paparazzi

“Glacial Gifts”         12” x 12”          Pastel        $175        © Sharon Lewis
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            We all stood around the ferry railing eagerly snapping photos  nonstop of our gorgeous surroundings. I felt like a member of the fjord paparazzi – maybe I was even a little more obnoxious than the rest since I had not one but two cameras. I had my trusty Canon Rebel that I take everywhere as well as a newer Canon PowerShot that has a telescopic lens. We were on a fjord tour of Naeroyfjord and Sognefjord in Norway. Every time the ferry rounded a corner there were  more views of beautiful blue or green water and colorful cliff sides; I could see future paintings everywhere.

Winds Up!

“Winds Up!”          9” x 12”          Pastel         $100          © Sharon Lewis
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             Ah, the carefree days of summer! I remember as a kid roaming the shore looking for hermit crabs, shells, worms (for fishing), or anything interesting that a storm might have brought in. One of these storms brought in a huge tree and laid it on its side a few feet from shore. That tree became our ship and we became its sailors. Sometimes we were pirates and made someone walk the plank with imaginary sharks waiting below. Yes, we were a bloodthirsty bunch of kids with very vivid imaginations. These summer storms also brought us strong winds, perfect for flying kites as these two kids are doing.

            I hope you’re enjoying some carefree summer days.

Majestic Beauty

“Majestic Beauty”            9” x 12”         Pastel          $100            Sharon Lewis
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          I cannot believe that before our trip to Norway, I was concerned that maybe I wouldn’t get enough interesting photos or that one fjord would look like all the rest. As we drove from Bergen, Norway to Alesunde, I was struck with the unique beauty of each fjord. The color of the water was sometimes different shades of blue, sometimes a gorgeous emerald green, and sometimes it was several colors. Today’s painting is of a place near Loen, Norway where the water was green, turquoise, and then further out a more purple-blue. I’ve been having a wonderful time painting and trying to capture the beauty of this remarkable country.