SOLD - The River is Running

As winter began to give way to spring in years past, the Walters boys would invite me on a trek  across the field and down in to the river bank to check out the ice chunks a receding river flow  would deposit along the shoreline. Beautiful big formations were so spellbinding, we had to be careful to remember that they weren't awesome ice caves to be climbed over and inside of. The colors were ice-in-the -raw stunning and alluring.

This year, the Carrabassett is already wide open where we are in Kingfield.There are no bergs along the banks.

The River is Running • 8" X 8" framed to 12" X 12" • $200

#244 Benjamin River Holdout

We left Buck's Harbor in a warm, soft little breeze that would eventually die as we made our way down Eggemoggin Reach. Our destination was Center Harbor and the Wooden Boat races. We wouldn't make the start of the regatta with this wind, but somehow it didn't matter. It was a beautiful morning in Maine, and sailing the reach is always a blast sliding under the Deer Isle suspension bridge that towers hundreds of feet overhead.

We saw the sails of the old boats off in the distance - configurations you just don't see every day, as we finally eased our way in to Center Harbor for lunch, ghosting around some of the prettiest old woodies you'll ever see. These were gorgeous boats of all sizes and shapes, many of which had been brought back to life with a lot of sweat, sore knees and elbows. But that's another story.

After lunch, we had originally planned to sail to Swan Island for the night. But the wind was still light. The thought of using the iron sail all that way was unpleasant at best. Besides, a storm predicted to the west over the mainland was beginning to take shape. Predicted to hug the mainland, there was no guarantee it wouldn't turn more east and out over our heads. We decided to head back up the reach a short distance to the Benjamin River - a friendly and protected harbor, to holdup for the night.

I got a very brief cold swim in before the sprinkler was turned on. We were right on the edge of the storm, which made it all feel like we were watching a movie on a massive screen. The sunlight was blotted, the wind came up in fierce little whips, and an excellent thunder and lightning show ensued.

Within 10 minutes, all went calm again, and eventually the way was cleared for a peaceful dinner in the cockpit as the sun dipped out of sight, and a dramatic full moon later that evening. It was just another-if-you-don't-like-the-weather-in-Maine-thank-you-day-and-gloriously-stunning-full-moon-night in paradise.

Benjamin River  Holdout • 8" X8" framed to 12" X 12" • $250

#243 Winter Light

I've been studying the sky these days. I have to walk twice a day and have plenty of time to look around without worrying about hitting a pothole or tripping over a curb. I figured I'd find out why the sky is the color it is when it is.

The color of the sky has to do with the way sunlight interacts with air molecules. Blue light, which is at the short end of the visible spectrum, scatters more during the day when we look at parts of the sky away from the sun, so see more blue than red. During sunset or sunrise, however, most of the light from the sun hits our planet at a sharp angle making the path so long that most of the blue and green light is scattered away by the time we see it. That's why we see mostly red.

Rayleigh scattering refers to the scattering of light off of the molecules of the air, extended to particles up to about a tenth of the wavelength of the light. It is Rayleigh scattering off the molecules of the air which gives us the blue sky. 

When large particles in the atmosphere are able to scatter all wavelengths of white light equally, Mie scattering is occurring. This is why clouds are white sometimes.

I think this painting is depicting Mie scattering.  But I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about and I really don't have time to be an expert.

 

Winter Light • 8" X 8" acrylic framed to 12" X 12" • $250

#242 Winter Respite - For a Minute

We caught a short hiatus from winter last week with milder temps and full on sun. I was even inspired to start reading articles about sailboats. Did you know that your run-of-the-mill stainless steel kitchen pot scrubbies tucked up into thru hulls will keep bugs out of the boat during winter storage?

But we longtime Mainers know better than to think we've given the slip to that merry prankster Old Man Winter. Come Friday, to no surprise of us veterans, Portland received a good 6" of snow, with a repeat performance today. Tom said the crocuses were 2" high at the Harraseekett Inn in Freeport. Needless to say, they're gone.

Today I choose to remember the other side of winter with this somewhat romantic, but fairly accurate depiction of that brief respite.  The water, believe it or not, can turn the most amazing blue. You'd swear you were somewhere tropical.

Winter Respite - For a Minute - For a Minute • 8" X 8" acrylic framed to 12" X 12" • $250

SOLD - Beautiful

It's challenging to put beautiful out there these days. There's a lot of scary going on, so it can feel apologetic to even think the word.

Can just looking at mountains and rivers and birds and clouds inspire suffering souls and rebuild broken bodies? I'd like to think it can. And so I stop to look at the beautiful whenever I can, and share it with all of those who can't.

Beautiful • 8" X 8" acrylic framed to 12" X 12" • $250