14. umikumamaha


I have been listening. This morning it was a chorus of birds at dawn, dwindling down to one lone and probably lost hen who is clucking merrily about two houses down the street. The other night when I went to bed, it was late, around 11 or so, I heard a cowboy! They're called "paniolo" here, and he was rounding up his cattle, whistling and calling the strays until at least midnight, moving up the mountain, and getting fainter and fainter as I began falling asleep. I was enchanted by the sound, and by the idea that we live here not a quarter mile from the heart of this small town, yet in the hills and dense trees on the borders of yards are roaming animals and cowboys. Four years ago I could hear the cattle close by "mooing" at night. The "amorous cows", I called em, and told my daughter, "they'll be gone in 5 years time." You don't hear them much anymore. I still remember the day I was heading into town when this HUGE big black boar came bursting out of the trees, ran lickety split along with all the cars for about 50 yards, then disappeared back into the thicket. love it.


Oops. The "hen " is now crowing. Ok, it's a rooster. Just hoping he stays two houses away, ....I had one cocka-doodle-dooing right out side my bedroom window once... all night long!!

Now on to art! Lotsa changes, in jobs, my schedule, my art! I "jumped ship" and went from working days on the sailboat to afternoons and evenings on a small dinner cruise boat. And found the change in my schedule meant adjustments in my time, my habits, my painting. Had a commission in January that proved challanging- I always find it difficult to paint "for someone else." But here's the finished piece,- a wedding gift for the daughter of my client, and so a bit stylized to make it romantic. You know..."love birds"...

The next piece, my "pole bendin", has been reinvented several times...sigh...I am "only the brush" and this was a restless painting that would not leave me alone till this last image. It started out as a plein air piece I did on location at the Old Airport. Not happy to be "just another landscape", oh no! it begged me to redo it.
And on and on ...it was such a relentless nag! "Build me a frame!" it demanded! "Now paint it another color"! Boy... I was so tempted at times to sneak it into my pickup and over to the local landfill, but hey- how many times do you have a talking painting? "Now repaint the whole dang thing!" It was not happy until the final image you see here. 32" x 48".


I've not heard a peep since. Only the moonlit cowboys...

Hot on the heels of that one (hey, wait-what about my hammock?) is my "tribal whale". Been building in my mind for a coupla months, till I put charcoal to paper then brush to board and this is the result. Inspired by my gentle brethren in the sea, we saw some beautiful breeches on the boat this season before they headed back to Alaska. The background is a panel of ground plaster mixed with blue and green acrylic on wood that I made a few years ago as part oof a 60 piece "Sea Wall." 24" x 48"










Thar she blows!
hmmm....I'm feeling an octopus coming on soon...The next thing ya know I'll be reading Dr.Doolittle again.
(Ok...., ok, I loved that book.Just don't tell anyone...)

and **news flash** I have a new online art shop at lcapell.etsy.com ...go ahead and take a peek! Hope to keep on top of it and updated frequently

peace and aloha,
lynn

All photos and art are copyright lcapell and my not be reproduced without permissin. Mahalo