Tidelands

'This Moment Becomes a Memory'
18x18" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

 

Here comes the tide rushing in,

the second of the day.

This landscape changes 

constantly, 

clouds and water

moving.

I never tire of watching the action.

Each glimpse is

different.

Line of sight

'Marine, West Coast' 24x30" oil on canvas;

Kathleen Faulkner

The thing about being on the water

is that one can usually see distance

probably the same idea on a mountain top

not so in fog

but most interesting in heavy weather

glide flow skim slide..

'Drift' 12x15" oil pastel on paper; Kathleen Faulkner

I am sitting in the sand

listening to the waves.

It isn't cold but it has that look.

The smell of kelpy salt water mingles with the breeze

and sends a wave of happiness through me

I am reminded that I don't visit often enough.

a remedy

'A Quiet Afternoon' 20x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Those lulls in the weather

respite in uncertain times.

some memories

'In the Deep' 10x10" oil on panel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I used to work on boats.

You choose

'Heavyweight' 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 Some events are more dangerous than others.

I got my shots.

a rare encounter

'Middle of Nowhere 21x29" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner 

That place 

no humans

no garbage

only nature sounds

weather or not

'Winter Morning'. 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes

in the midst of ruff and tumble weather

hopeful breaks appear.

I always appreciate those.

wishes

'One of Many' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Happy Solstice, Friends! 

My wishes for the New Year are 

probably about the same as yours:

Our Planet is saved

and the quality of Life is improved for Us All!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Better New Year! 

Humidity: 82%

'The Rainy Season' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

The rains have come.

I put on my rain gear

and walk anyway.

the other side

'East Side' 21x17" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 It is a different world. 

 

the smell is warm and the palette, too

  sometimes you can see forever

'Side View' 21x17" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

deep in it

'Northwest is Best'  16x20" oil pastel on panel;  Kathleen Faulkner

These are dark times.

I look out to the west

dark clouds have lifted over the Olympics

To the east, the North Cascades shine

  beneath the dark, brooding sky

 

  It brings to mind a line from a poem, as it often does,

and  'I am blinded by it's splendor'.*

*'What is the Beautiful'  Kenneth Patchen

a glimpse

'High End' 24x48" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

Summer is coming to a close but 

it's been a good run this year.

Soon these mountains will be covered in snow 

and this area will be 

inaccessible.  

weather or not

'Heavy Weather' 8x8" oil and soft pastel, graphite;
Kathleen Faulkner

The storm approaches. 

Weather here is changing.  Lately it's downpour or sunshine,  not much in between.  

The days of cold, damp and drizzle are fading and it's feeling a lot like northern California.

At least we still have water.

Side thoughts

'Looking East'  oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

June has come and almost gone then July arrives 

and the year is half over.   

I have yet to be warm.  

If I had a choice between time on the coast or time east in the heat,  I would usually pick coast.  Today though, I'm thinking about how nice it would be to warm up with some sunshine east of the mountains.

Everyday is a Beautiful Day in Paradise

Snow on bamboo

We had our first snow of the season.  

In the beginning, I walked up Mt Erie.  Later we were all restricted to our homes.  Later still, I tried for a walk but just managed to fall.  It seemed, this year, giving it up to snow was a lot easier for generally everyone.  We simply shut down.  No use to fight it.

Snow people laugh at us,  jokes are told, we are considered pansies.   In our defense I must remind the laughers that, here in the Puget Sound area, we don't really have the funds to support a major snow clean up  not to mention the hill factor.   Imagine San Francisco with 6"+ of snow and ice and you get the picture.

There is a saying:  'If you don't like the weather
just wait awhile and it will change'.

Today is a clear, cold, beautiful day.

View from Skyline looking southwest

Full Moon, High Tide

"High Tide: Guemes Channel" 23x21" oil pastel, Kathleen Faulkner

We're in the midst of a full moon.  A lot has happened this last week. Our artist friend, John Simon passed, the Olympics finished, another earthquake and the weather has been unusual.  

Some say that a full moon* has no effect on us, that there is no scientific proof.  Am I melancholy because of the moon or could it be that the death of a friend tends to dull those rose colored glasses I love to wear, exposing life and death in all it's reality?  

Maybe it's a little of both.

*  http://www.equinoxastrology.com/LunarLore.htm