It was years ago in the summer vacation place, one of my aunties and I don’t remember if it was Harriet or Ann, set the challenge of painting rocks in water. I’ve made a few attempts at watercolors, and to be honest I’m always startled if they even somewhat work out.

This one is from a photo. I was noodling around the shoreline in a kayak and saw a spider as big as my hand sitting on top of the water. I tried to sidle up to it close enough to get a photo with my phone, but it skittered away into this retreat. I took the photo of its lair, and never realized until I looked at it on a bigger computer screen that I’d captured the tracery of its web.

the other two tentacles are back behind where you can’t see them.

9/15/21 Still working on it, I want to bring back some of the color balance that made the first version more lively

dragonfalls

pickles and peas

covering my tracks.

This was inspired by fellow Harmony Collective artist Benoit Bussiere, who makes absolutely gorgeous paintings, applying layers to cover and partially reveal earlier layers underneath.

I like to throw things

I had a long wait for supper this evening, at the opening of Cocina Lupita, a food truck run by an El Salvadoran family that has long staffed the kitchen of the restaurant where I work. It was wonderful to watch parents and kids eating, playing, and working together in the warmth of a long summer evening. It brought life to the parking lot of Wilson’s department store, which closed over a year ago and has stood huge and empty ever since. Here was a bright spark of community coming into life.

9/15/21 Here’s where this one has landed. I like some of the colors of the original better, and fall prey to the desire to have things tidy and clean. So much to learn, always.