Friday, September 28, 2007

IF : Chasing away the blues



I could have posted several images today seeing as I always use blues in my work. This is a painting I did called "In the Moment." I remember I had the blues one day and went to my favorite place down the street, Asilomar Beach. My heart was as heavy as the fog on the bay. I saw this lone gull just sitting and looking into the ocean as if all of his troubles were being washed away. He wasn't trying to be anywhere else. He was here, just as I was. He reminded me to be in the moment because that's all we have. So for a while I let the waves carry my blues away and my heart felt lighter.

The ocean is my sanctuary, my chase-away-the-blues place.

Thanks for coming along with me. Here's a photo of Asilomar, so you can see why I love it so.


acrylic on canvas 48" x 24" click to enlarge

43 comments:

  1. Hi. I like your paintings. They are so full of emotion. You are a great artist.

    I came by your blog site by accident. I just created my own blog and I was just curious. I did a search on one of my favorite musical artists, Greg Brown, and your blog popped up right below mine. I thought I would stop by and say hi...so Hi.

    I see you live in Monterey. What a beautiful spot for painting. Lots of inspiration there. I love the inland hills around there. The light brown grass and the olive colored trees....the contrast is just wonderful.. My wife and I honeymooned along the coast there and we had a great trip from San Simeon to Monterey.

    Check out my blog if you want. I sent e-mails to my family thinking that maybe my writings might spark some discussions but no one seems to want to comment. Stop by, leave a comment. Take care.

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  2. Hey Girl! I am so glad you are posting your paintings. This is one of your best for sure! You have such a down to earth perspective about life. By the way, how is your show comming along? Have you picked your pieces yet?

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  3. lovely, really. nice work. seems like a place to go and meditate.

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  4. i like it, the colors and the mood it capture:
    michael dailey

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  5. Awesome choices! I really, really wish I could see the show in person, pictures won't be the same, but I hope you post lots of lots of them. Wow, next weekend.. eek! Next weekend I am going to be part of "Art along the Rogue", a yearly art event they hold here in town. I am participating in the "Street Painting" event. There are 2 professional street painters and 50 regional artists. I am going to do my trick-or-treat ants. I'll post a sketch of my drawing my quasi-pepper blog and pictures of the actual finished "painting" after the event. Can't wait to hear how your show goes... so exciting.. sqeeek!

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  6. Oh! My God!!!! I'm without words to explain what I felt when i saw yours illustrations!!! So sweet!!! So quiet!!! So blues!!!!! Congratulations

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  7. The ocean calls to many. When it calls to you, you create wonderful paintings. This is just beautiful.

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  8. Very beautiful and peaceful, Laurel. Great job on the blues of the sky and ocean, and that lone seagull really captures one's eye.

    I love the ocean too, I love to hear the waves break on the sand. The perfect cure for the blues...

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  9. This is sooooooooooooooo beautiful and you really captured the spray of the waves! I, like you, find solace in the ocean. This is excellent!

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  10. Wonderful Painting! You did a brilliant job. It is soo peaceful.

    I have a cousin that lives in Pacific Grove!

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  11. Oh, so beautiful...and a a different way of looking at blue...though, the lone gull on a rock could be lonesome, non?

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  12. That seaside would take away my blues, it has a very spiritual and calming effect - the kind of place I would go to reconnect and re-center - lovely

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  13. A wonderful painting and an equally wonderful photograph. :)

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  14. I'd like a little piece of that calm ocean. I feel you captured it in these paintings. I use blues too!

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  15. I love water, so this painting touched my heart, as did your story. We have much to learn from animals, the way they always seem to be in the here and now. Like when my cat takes a nap in a stream of sunlight from the windows, and you can just see how happy he is - all is well in his world. As is my world when I am by the sea and listen how the water kisses the stones and the beach.

    Thank you for sharing your painting and your story with us! It really touched me.

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  16. I also love blue, what lovely serene paintings:)

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  17. Very beautiful painting and place and story- I can feel it! I was just thinking similar thoughts yesterday about the 'moment' being all what we all have. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. Love it! The blues in your painting are just beautiful! I miss being near the ocean... I wish I could walk on the beach when I am blue. :)

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  19. and now that you've had BOTH coasts, lolo, which one? ;)

    this is gorgeous, bytheway. your paintings kind of flood a person with thoughts and feelings...

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  20. Oh, so beautiful.
    *sigh*
    I really miss the ocean-- It's been at least a decade since I've seen it. Thanks for posting this one!

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  21. Hi Laurel! Great painting! I used to live by the ocean when I was small and it's very true that the ocean can chase away the blues.

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  22. This is such a beautiful, peaceful painting. You have really captured the mood and the atmosphere so well... I love that you let the gull show you how to be in the moment! Thank you for sharing the story, the painting, and the photograph. You live in one of the most beautiful places...

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  23. I totally understand what you say about the ocean and I like how your "blues" interpretation relates to taking them away! I also love seagulls - I know a lot of people don't, but I think they are beautiful and their call is so haunting. Absolutely lovely painting!

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  24. I've only just returned from a place very similar :) Beautiful combination of the two images and the lone seagull does portray your experience from the day!

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  25. Laurel, I really love this piece (and the spectacular photo)! You expressed being in the moment so well, it's so easy to cover up those not so pleasant feelings by doing something else, but when really sit with it, we become more in touch with ourself and the interconnectedness of all beings. Like you being one with the gull and the ocean. You're a real gem!

    Peace.

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  26. Beautiful peaceful painting, lovely soft tones.I love it.
    Did you know that breaking waves release positive ions which would help to pick up your mood!

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  27. Beautiful painting, lucky you, to see that view anytime you wish!
    And the crow below is Delightful!
    Sandra Evertson

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  28. Ive always felt the freedom of insignificance before the ocean. This piece captures that.

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  29. Thank you, Laurel, for your condolences regarding my father, and the lovely poem. What a beautiful sea scape you painted. The Pacific Ocean is so inspiring...you captured it so well.

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  30. Very beautiful. I like the soft color scheme and the uncluttered composition. The message is very nice also.

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  31. Very peaceful. It reminds me of Robert Frost's poem about the people who stand on the shore and look out to sea, "They cannot look out far, they cannot look in deep - but when was that ever a bar to any watch they keep?".

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  32. FANTASTIC paintings - love the rest of your blog, too!

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  33. Such a peaceful image, the ocean is so mesmorizing, can fuel the blues and chase them away. I can see why your special place inspires you,

    Thank you for the welcome to Illustration Friday. Am lone parent to 3 kids, divorcing and needing work. Am so loathed to have to do an ordinary job instead of something I love. Great to know the struggle is a shared one, you've just got to keep chasing the dream I guess.

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  34. The Blue gods must love you Laurel.

    Just want to look and look, because the calm and the serene is so inviting. I like the fog that hasen't quite lifted, and the sea gull is beautiful. What a piece of work!

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  35. Hiya!

    Thank you so much for adding me to your list of inspiring friends - that's really nice!

    I'll add you my list of links, too!

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  36. Gorgeous! I wanna go there now!!

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  37. Oh my goodness! It makes me want to move back to the ocean. There is nothing like sitting on the beach watching the waves come in. I could sit there all day. This is a very inspirational piece!

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  38. This week was actually hard for me because I'm so used to using warm colors. You use blues beautifully. I've noticed them in a bunch of your works. I especially loved the blues in your piece w/the seal & moon. Lovely seagull! :-D

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