Summer palette: beach edition

06 Jul Summer palette: beach edition

Look at that green!

I become utterly useless for anything when I see that shade of green.

Got away for a quick but wonderful relaxing time at a friend’s beach house.  Perfect way to catch breath after a busy June.  We went for a walk on the beach in the evening and I felt about twelve, balancing along the logs, trying to find my beach legs, looking at the gorgeous round rocks.  It was dusk so the pictures are a bit murky but the colours of the rocks are a calm solid mix of cool grays, with lots of blue notes.  On hot summer days they warm up in the sun so that to stagger out of cold water and collapse onto them is bliss!  I almost sizzle, the rocks get so hot. But on this evening stroll it was nice just to see them dry! 

Can you see the heart?  I’m lucky enough that I get hearts dropping into my life all round me, especially in rocks.  Usually the rock itself is shaped like a heart but I liked this variation! 

This gorgeous, gorgeous tree is my nemesis. Isn’t it wonderful?  It is wonderful.  It seems bigger than life and spiritual and tree of life-ish.  I’ve tried to paint it and it didn’t go all that well.  This trip I was determined to get some better pictures to work from.  It’s shy, this tree.  This picture was taken when the sun was out and I was viewing it respectfully from a distance.  But it was staying a little aloof and hiding its colours.

I waited till the next day to go closer and try to catch its personality a bit better. Unfortunately the weather had gone back to its habit of late, pouring rain!  Unbelievable torrential drippy rain.  I tried to keep the drops off of my camera (and me) but I’m afraid the tree wins this one too.  I haven’t been able to show all of its magic yet in pictures.  When the sun shines on it the colours are incredible, like it’s lit from inside.

Maybe sketchy pictures will help me paint it.  I’ll have to try to catch the vibrant colours from my head.  Probably the way it should be.  It’s hard shooting up at a giant like this too.  The sky messes up the lighting.  And when I paint it I’ll be making that sky blue I think.   The last time I painted it, it was the middle of hot gorgeous summer and I was beyond thrilled to be painting looking up into it, and wearing my bikini!!!  Felt like a delicious coup,  painting and bikini-ing at the same time!

This trip I was pleased to be able to capture this shot.  Beside a hint of the beautiful pinks and reds on the trunk, it also shows the elusive and rarely photographed arbutus bellybutton.  Tough to get from a shy tree.