It seems appropriate to start the 100 days~100 paintings 2012 with a post about the sea. I have really been a water bug my entire life. Now in my adult years, I find myself drawn to the water frequently. I may be swimming, out on a sailboat for an evening sail, or painting water. Our bodies are made up of mostly water so I guess that is the connection.
I helped my father in Ohio when we had a boat refinish project. He made the gunnels, keel, dash, windshield, and other parts at the wood shop at the Air Force base we were living. This is the same base that brought me my first and only horse, gave me a new love for fresh corn, started me on the road to extraordinary kite flying, and fostered in me a new respect for children that were different from myself.
I also spent what seemed like hours with my father under the boat painting the inside while the snow fell gently from the sky. As we worked, I dreamed the dreams of children, in eager anticipation for the day when I would again hit the water. Until then, patience was the key word, carefully pushing the enamel paint deep into the cracks and crevices of the fiberglass that would soon be under deck boards during the summer. My father finished the wood pieces carefully and slowly, and, after several coats of polyurethane the water reflected in the sheen of the wood grain while we were on the water.
The boat named Quarter Penny (because of money found under the decking) also made the trip to California when we moved to yet another Air Force Base. This time though she was not on the water, but a trailer and made a very efficient way to carry the camping equipment we used while trekking and camping across country to our new base.
This was the life of a military family, moving every couple of years. New friends, new home, new schools, new adventures.
The one constant in my life was the presence of water.
No comments:
Post a Comment