On the granite coast, I kneel down to see layers of round shapes in a tidal pool: the glistening curve of blue beach glass, ground shell, bits of marl, littoral litter. It is the texture of a cold and unhemmed coastline, a study in extremes.
Here, you have to hold on to your life. You have to blend in to avoid being hunted, unbruised by the pounding waves, while managing to stay wet in the face of sun and wind, maintaining your heritage by staying pretty in order to attract the opposite sex. Your existence is hinged on the passage of time, good genes and pure luck: will you survive until high tide?
This little intertidal oasis, paradoxically gorgeous, has a rainbow of life crawling within it: red, brown and green tranlsucences, bumpy lumberers, glittering gems, but it is growing stagnant by the minute. At noon, the water is warming up under the intense sun; in fact, it’s so sensuous to lie in the small ripples at the rim of the pool that you can hardly tell, with eyes closed, where the water ends and the balmy air begins. Then a breeze reminds you, as a shadow sheds some cool on your skin.
The estuary beyond the dunes, nursery for marine life, reminds me less of motherhood than these beautifully unprotected cavities. Here, time is compressed. Weeks become seconds. With little time to think, intuition develops. I slowly begin to trust my intuition as it gains conviction, but the experience that feeds it is time that’s lost: will I still be here by high tide?
Beautiful!
these colours are delicious, i really love the bright red next to the blues on the right-hand one, and the orangy-yellow under the inky blackness. its a very satisfying image to look at.
Very cool! I love the colors and white lines.It looks like they are dancing together.
beautiful. you are so talented-your words and your art.
beautiful colours and shapes
I love this painting, lush and alive. Nice writing, too.
Cool.
love
This is amazingly beautiful! Wax crayon & watercolor? I love how much depth you create with color. And your words are as always beautiful–made me fiercely miss the Sonoma coast!
I just found you. Your work is breathtaking! And your writing is like poetry – I like being here. I’ll be back.,..gorgeous photos and beautiful art.
The painting reminds me of batik fabric.
Will someone PLEASE give this woman a book deal!!
You are so talented–!
You must ALL know that your kind comments are helping me stay sane while I tend to 2 kids suffering with the flu. Honestly, I really am enjoying the validation when all I feel is worn to the bone and weary. Thank you!
steph
Beautiful!
Hang in there — two with the flu? Whew!
Very fine energy and life in this, and I like the tension in the space between the two starfsh…also love your thoughtful text.
I went back and forth between your text and the image, and felt like I was there being lulled by the water and the air. Your painting (it looks like watercolor) is scintillating…I can almost hear the bubbles of cool water moving over the pebbles and the starfish. The white lines make them glisten. Very nice!
everything about your blog makes me want to be a starfish and hold on, wonderful post!!
i hope i survive until the tide too. this is beautiful steph, nice to meet you/ 🙂
Gosh, that is really lovely!