#488 • Roaming the Hills and Valleys

Click here to purchase this painting #488
http://www.claudiadiller.com/blog.htm

I took a day off and rode over to Sunday Rive Ski Resort - hadn't been there in over a decade. Wow - the expansion is amazing. But more amazing were the views that expansion opened up.

There's a lot of debate about ski areas these days - are they good for the environment or not. I come down on the side of good for a variety of reasons. The town I live in - Kingfield, would not be much of anything without Sugarloaf up the road in terms of commerce and employment.

But the biggest plus is that ski areas get people up in to the mountains and valleys. Folks get to see the incredible landscape that we live in. You feel a strong pull to preserve those forests, hills, mountains, stream and lakes.

In the meantime, force myself to do these landscapes. I would never presume to have the talent to capture the beauty out there - I'll leave that to the pros. But here's a sketch of one of those scenes I saw at Sunday River.

Roaming the Hills and Valleys • 8" x 8" acrylice framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#487 • Ancient Autumn Leaf Changing Stories

 

Click here to purchase this painting #487
http://www.claudiadiller.com/blog.htm

The leaves are just beginning to change around here. It would be a very sad time of year for me, but as if to ease the pain of summer's passing, Mother Nature gives us a period of adjustment with a stunning color show out there. It's a real distraction and has become a favorite time of year for me. I forget jump full on in to the drama of it.

I can't imagine what humans thought was going on out there when this happened every year eons ago. What story did they put to it? The science is fascinating, but stories are always more fun. Here are a couple:

https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/autumn-color/

https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/why-leaves-change-color#

Ancient Autumn Leaf Changing Stories • 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#486 • Sailing Away Around the Bays

 

It's been a fun summer sailing around the bays here in Maine. We haven't gone way down east yet, but we will. We've just enjoyed figuring out whether or not we two workaholics have it in us to meander the coast all summer in slow motion. As it turns out, we can but only if we have to come home to mow the lawn and weed the garden. These two chores keeps reality within reach just in case we begin to fall off the big life-altering cliff.

My wish for this Labor Day weekend is that everyone in the world has an opportunity to enjoy a little time even if it's in their head, when there are no deadlines looming, no more have-to-do-work in the pipeline and no more someone lurking over your shoulder demanding better and more.

Be well out there. 

iPad sketch

#485 • Perry Creek Sunset

Sunsets in Perry Creek are not as memorable as other anchorages - it doesn’t have the long view off to the west. But one night I saw this and was surprised. It was quite stunning.

iPad sketch

#484 • Too Magical For Words

It was another foggy morning heading out of Bucks Harbor. No wind, flat calm, silent except for the drone of our engine.

A light breeze began to release its fingers across our bow. And then as if too shy, it would draw them back, afraid to commit it seemed. But very very slowly the fingers gently morphed into hands, arms and eventually completed itself. We quietly raised our main and  popped the jib, afraid we might scare this delicate breeze away. The engine was released and we began our whisper across the silver mirror spread out before us, our dinghy quietly gurgling behind.

There were no other boats about. Fog gradually gave way and the southern horizon lit up against the gray clouds over its head. It was too magical for words, impossible to depict this gift of a few hours of otherworldly beauty and grace.

IPad sketch

#483 • Just Another Foggy Day

 

It was just another foggy day out in the islands. We went ashore and walked by this sweet little summer house while stretching our legs on Vinalhaven.

A quick sketch on my iPad.

#482 • Maybe She Was Just Fishing

It was damp but not raining as we clawed our way through downtown Bar Harbor to the waterfront walkway finally finding relief from the heat and the mayhem that was thousands of cruise ship t-shirt collectors. 

We were there taking a break from days of sailing through fog and rain, and to check out the winter storms damage as we’ve been doing all summer along the coast and around the islands. A sizable chunk of shoreline was missing from the famous path shortening our walk by half, so we wandered over to the public wharf to check out the local fishing fleet. 

One of the boats had a blown a transmission. Her captain was suffering a big owie. Tom could relate and hung around to give him moral support. I decided to meander over to the other side of the wharf where I found a young woman fishing by herself down below me on one of the floats. 

She looked as if she had just left work. Her hair was stylishly cut and she wore a beautiful loose fitting light weight white jacket, long pleated black skirt, white gloves and upscale sneakers.

She was casting by herself - for mackerel is my guess. As I eased my way down the gangway, I noticed there was no bucket for her catch. Was she fishing to relax after work, looking for relief from the heat, people, noise? Maybe as a youngster she had learned to fish with her dad, and the simple graceful motion of casting fed her soul. Or maybe she was just fishing.

 

She represented such a contrast to what was happening in town and in my head, a reminder of the gifts received when time is loosely held for a minute to simply take a look around. 

iPad sketch - NFS