A Week in Euphoria

Well I've been back to work for a week and have to say it has been a great to be out in the Dunes. The beauty surrounds you. And even though it's only 3 miles from my house, you feel like you are hundreds of miles away from civilization.

I have to say that I was recovering from a cold and it was mid October, we were sure to have wood to burn in the lovely tiny wood stove.

Some of the highlights of being there was to have nothing to do, no agenda, no watch on, no plans, no visitors though a planned visit would have been fine too!

I was happy to spend most of each day painting. I painted with pigment stick on handmade paper and also used some melted wax. Needed to get the woodstove to the perfect 200 degrees (brought a little thermometer) which wasn't too difficult actually, though when it was too warm to light it up, no wax that day. That was fine too.

My little studio for the week.

So in this shack there is no electricity, so you light the oil lamps which I really love! They give off a certain smell and just enough light to get around, a little hard to read by, but I did sometimes anyway. I was completely in love with the lamps and did a series of photos of them.

So after all the lovely changing oil lamps, the days were filled with jumping whales, a few seals a bunch of walks on the beach to gather some wood and some quiet contemplative moments and lots of paintings.

 This was one of my earlier paintings of the week, where there was still a dash of blue in the sky.

I was very into this fence which was out the window that I sat at to paint. This was day one. The fence change completely everyday from the way the light hit it. Behind that fence about 4 times a day Art's Dune Tour came by and all the people got out of their cars and took pictures. It was a bit strange but after a while you didn't notice them anymore. You kind of feel like you're in a zoo.

This is the beginning of my week of paintings. The horizontal ones are small, 5" x 7" paintings on handmade paper, which you can tell from the lovely deckle.

I had 3 full days of dramatic gray skies, everything changed, all the time. Dark water, dark sky, clouds moving, the color of the horizon line, green water, black water, gray water, white caps...fog, clearing,  mist. I was very into the shifting of grays.

These next paintings were about 9" x 11" - all pigment stick, graphite, marble dust and wax.

Euphoria in paint and wax

UFO over shack

Here are few more photos that can maybe capture being out there in the far away from home spot on the hill.

Tons of whales in the front yard!

See the whale blow between the boats?

Crazy fish eye lens

So that was the outside and here are the inside.

 The Salt House is another name of this shack.

 

And lots of good food was had. Even pancakes for breakfast!

Two burner stove but only one worked.

Scrambled eggs with brocolli, onions and cheese, side of clemetines

Delicious vegetable soup that cured me of my cold

Lot's of plates to choose from

Blurry black bean and rice with avocado, tomato and sour cream

Fried eggs and home fries!

 

The end.