saying good bye to the beach...

so tomorrow we leave this gorgeous island...we had a very rough start with so much rain for a few days..but when it's nice, it's very, very nice!!..warm and sunny and some breeze to boot...we've had such a good time on this annual couples' trip..been coming here to this same place for almost forty years...(my gawd..are we possibly that old???)...played golf at coastal pines, pine lakes on jekyl, sanctuary cove, heritage oaks on buffalo river..a salt water river connecting down the line to the ocean, and two rounds at fantastical Frederica!!.. don't know whether I mentioned that I brought down 20 pieces..ranging in size from 6x6 to 30x30...they are all now in Simon's on the pier..they tell me they sold one of my lighthouses yesterday..so blessed and thankful!!..now it's time to get back to the real world..two day drive and I hear we may have tornadoes through the south tomorrow...I will put a shield around our car and soldier on!!!

finally gorgeous outside!!!!

so here's the deal.....after 4 and a half inches of rain over Friday and Saturday and lots of sloppy weather sunday...we FINALLY saw the sun today!!! and blue sky!!!!..and warmth!!!!....now THIS is the Georgia I remember!!!!!...so yesterday Davey and I played Jekyll island..pine lakes..sloshed through a chilly, cart-path only round...i think I lost my seven iron somewhere...but these pictures depict a very strange happening!...we walked off one green...saw these four guys over something..we weren't sure what!..looked like they were tending to someone who was injured..with all the supplies laid out near them...turns out they had snagged A SIX FOOT ALLIGATOR!!!...yep!!..I asked if this guy could do some damage and.."yes, he can"..we'd heard earlier that someone had caught an alligator or two and shipped them off the island...but these guys were from the "applied wildlife conservation lab and greg was doing his master's (I think) project...he's the one in the black hat (turned backwards) sitting directly on top of the critter..i think it took all of them to snare and corral him..the alligator, not greg...)..then he was tying this GPS system right in the middle of the gator's shoulder blades...the idea is to track their behavior while in the environs of humans..(I think)...so that was yesterday...and today we played Frederica...a very exclusive course..i think 12 of the touring pros live there...(we didn't see any)..and on the back nine...a par four severe dog-leg to the right..there on the bank of the water..happily sunning himself was a six-footer...at least...needless to say we gave him a very wide berth...if your tee shot went anywhere near that sucker..we just dropped a little more to the left!!!...it was a wonderful day...lots of sunshine and warmth on our skin..

finally here....

ok..so here's what we're dealing with...in all the years we've owned this place..we've never..i mean never seen the street flooded like this!!!..the parking lot behind the house is also flooded...the rain has surely had its way and we are just held hostage...it's ok..i did a bit of painting...we showed the house at 4:30 and went out for oysters and a cocktail...we buried st. joseph around noon and we're letting him work his magic!!!..as much as we have loved this place, we think it's time to put her on the market and let someone else enjoy her as much as we have...sort of melancholy...but if the weather permits, we plan to make the most of this visit for sure!

"Summer Calm"...SOLD

30x30 original oil on gallery wrap canvas

so last week I got word from the Venue, my gallery in Bloomington, that a couple was wanting to spend some time with this painting...they took it home over the weekend and today I got word that they were buying this piece!!..how humbling and what a thrill!  

"Race to the Finish!"

16x20 oil on stretched canvas

so this is my homage to the "little five"...a famous bike race held every year on the IU campus in Bloomington...you may remember the movie "Breaking Away"...my daughter led her pi phi house team many years ago...and even may have caused a small skirmish, if I remember right...I may tweak this a bit as far as values but i'm pretty happy with it!

"...a little lamb"

8x6 oil on panel

so here's a little homage to Easter...a little lamb...this will be going to the carmel midland..

evening lighthouse

I think i'm liking this better...more paint..more dynamic...

on my easel

this is a painting of the lighthouse on st. simons island..in progress...I really want to show the glow of the setting sun but with lots of color..i'll finish this tomorrow...more paint..more paint!!!!