Publisher's Notes

It’s June!

It’s time for school to end and to get outside.   Like packing up a lunch and heading out for a picnic.  This is a wonderful time of year to visit a park and take a slow, casual stroll.    Vic and I strolled down the boardwalk along the river in Newburyport one evening last week (one of our favorite things to do).  With iced mocha coffee’s in hand we walked slowly and observed the scenery all around.  We saw two very young ducks clinging to a metal cable in the water.  They would let go and as the water carried them away they would paddle back to the cable and hop up, they were so cute.  A pack of colorful kayak-ers paddled down river following an instructor in the quiet low tide waters as beautiful boats gently swayed from their moorings in the middle of the waterway.  On the boardwalk a variety of furry characters passed us by heading in the opposite direction being tugged along by leashes.   I stopped to view a half finished canvas that was adhered to an easel.  The artist was dabbing her brush into paint as she evaluated the shoreline across the river.   I envied her.  To have the time and peace to quiet her thoughts, block out the activity around her, and create on-site.  I’d like to try that some time this summer; find a nice place, set up an easel & paints, and go-for-it.  I don’t know if I am brave enough to start out in a busy place, maybe a less visited place at first to get a feel for it, before I let others look on.   Even if the painting doesn’t turn out great, it will be fun to experience the freedom of fresh air and no line drawing.  

Aaahhhhh, the warmth of June and the joy of painting……Tracy