You Are The Light

“You Are The Light”          12” x 12”          Pastel           $175        © Sharon Lewis
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Remembering John Lewis………

"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant."

"Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year; it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” — John Lewis

Cove at Yaquina

“Cove at Yaquina”     Pastel        9” x 12”        $100     ©Sharon Lewis
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            It was a beautiful day with the sun shining on the lighthouse and rocks. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse area, on the Oregon coast is a particularly interesting place to visit because not only can you enjoy spectacular scenery but you can also enjoy interesting wildlife in the form of seals and a variety of seabirds. I love painting coastal areas like this because there are so many different colors and textures in the rocks, grasses, and ocean.

            Hoping you enjoy beautiful days this weekend!

Passing the Light Forward

“Passing the Light Forward”        Pastel         9” x 12”          $100      © Sharon Lewis
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            In the midst of all the political turbulence going on before the national election, it helps me to take a break, a deep breath, and celebrate the natural world with all its beauty. This painting was based on photos taken while walking on a very peaceful beach. As the sun set, the beacon in the lighthouse went on, almost as if the sun had passed its light forward.     

What a great idea to focus on …passing our light forward…not our fears, frustration, and anger, but our kindness, compassion, hopes, and dreams.

            Happy Almost Weekend!

Keeping Vigil

“Keeping Vigil”                Pastel            12" x 16"            $200           © Sharon Lewis
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            This is the third of my recent lighthouse paintings. As you can tell, I really enjoyed this beautiful area as well as the historic lighthouse. Each time I looked up as we hiked around this area I saw a different but equally interesting view. In this painting I wanted to highlight the beautiful but possibly treacherous cove (if you were a ship lost in the fog), as well as the light hitting the soft, green grasses on the hill.
            Happy Almost Weekend!

Yaquina from Afar

Yaquina from Afar              Pastel                  18” x 24”                 $300               © Sharon Lewis

            Somehow I have ended up painting a lighthouse series without consciously deciding to do so. I don’t know if it’s just because I have a love of lighthouses (I do) or because I had decided a few weeks ago to paint on larger surfaces whenever I could and lighthouses seemed perfect for a larger format. Either way, this is the second of three lighthouse paintings I’ve done recently. I wanted to do this painting, which I based on some of my photos of the west coast, because I love the lighthouse silhouetted against this magnificent blue sky. It also shows how tiny the lighthouse and the living quarters appear compared to the size of the land it sits on. As small as it looks, this is Oregon’s tallest lighthouse and is made up of 370,000 bricks and has stood steadfast through winds and storms since 1872.

            Happy Almost Weekend!

Stalwart Sentinel

“Stalwart Sentinel”      Pastel        12” x 16”       $200        © Sharon Lewis
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            For some reason I’ve always been fascinated by lighthouses. It could be because they combine my love of being close to the ocean as well as my love of history – for they always have interesting histories associated with lighthouses. I think that they’re also special because in earlier years, they were staffed by individuals watching the sea, ready to respond whenever needed. Nowadays, most are fully automated and don’t have resident lighthouse keepers.

 On the west coast of Oregon, we ran across a cool lighthouse in a beautiful area called Yaquina Head. I found out that the Yaquina Head Lighthouse is Oregon’s tallest lighthouse and it’s been an active light since August 1873.

Happy Almost Weekend!