Studio News, Latest Works & Musings On A Coastal Life

My goal for this painting was to create a peaceful scene of sailboats at rest in the harbor, with a major part of the painting being the reflections of the masts in the water.  It is both serene and colorful combining blue, green, yellow and red.  Getting the perspective right was quite challenging, given the six sailboats all lined up together in their slips.

I'm happy with the results, although in retrospect, I'd now prefer to have been working on a larger canvas for this image, as this many boats required a lot of detail using, in some instances, very small brushes.  I may paint a similar image on a 24x24 or larger canvas in the near future. 

In the meantime, I've also been busy sketching boats, as I intend to paint several pieces with various types of boats as the subject matter. 

For more information on this painting and to view larger version click here.

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"Dolphin Days"   12x16 inches  Original acrylic on canvas

© 2012 Barbara Blair

This stylized painting of dolphins, waves, a beach with sea shells, tropical flowers and palm trees is a joyful celebration of exotic coastal life.  It is the first painting I have done that has positive, affirmative words embedded in it under the paint.

Here's the start of this painting after I transferred the sketch from my sketchbook onto the canvas:

Even though most of my artwork deliberately includes clear lively colors and either joyful or peaceful images, I plan to also include positive intentions in future paintings, both in the form of words embedded under the paint, and also through my own positive thoughts while creating the artwork.  The idea behind this is that positive thoughts and energy in objects radiate outward on a subtle level and affect the spaces they are in, and in so doing positively affect the people around them.

We know from physics that everything is energy.  Color and light, words, thoughts, music, sound, as well as shapes are all different forms of energy vibrations.  We also know from experiments by quantum physicists that human consciousness effects matter.  To quote Albert Einstein:  "Everything is energy and that's all there is to it.  Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.  It can be no other way.  This is not philosophy.  This is physics." 

There is a lot of information available on this topic: the work of Gregg Braden's "Divine Matrix" comes to mind, as does Dr. Masaru Emoto's experiments with the effect of music and words on water.

I was an interior designer for many years, and have always been interested in how what we put into our built environments affects us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Biologist Bruce Lipton has written a very interesting book "The Biology of Belief" in which he proves that the environment of the cells is very important to health.  If we experience high levels of stress from negative thoughts, feelings, beliefs and perceptions (much of which is running us on a subconscious level), it shuts down our immune system and therefore allows many forms of "dis-ease". 

What does this have to do with our homes and offices?  Everything we put in them is "food" that we ingest through all of our senses, and their energies, whether positive or negative, have an effect on our moods, stress levels, hormones, cellular activity, brain functioning, and therefore our health, happiness and overall well-being.  If you've ever read anything about Feng Shui, which deals with the energies in buildings as well as the surrounding land, you will easily make the connection.  It's very important that the buildings in which we live and work are balanced, harmonious and beautiful.  Colors and artwork are an important part of that equation.

With that said - back to my art:  In addition to embedding positive words and intentions hidden in the paintings, I also plan to create images with words written visibly on top of them.  A custom commision service will also soon be available to include a customer's requested colors and words. More on this later.

Regarding this article's featured painting, "Dolphin Days", what feelings and/or words come to your mind when you look at this image?  I'd be very interested in hearing your comments and getting your feedback as to whether anyone picks up on what I have embedded in it!  Thanks so much.

For pricing and information on the original "Dolphin Days" painting, as well as giclée reproduction prints which are available in several sizes, click on the links.

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The "palm trees and waves" painting is finished!  The palm fronds required a lot more detail than I originally intended, but I'm happy with the results.  I've used a lot of color variation in the leaves, bringing in touches of the apricot, peach and pink from the beach.  It really ties the painting togther nicely.

I keep intending to do a looser, faster style of painting, but frequently find myself getting into a lot of detail with small brushes.  The palm fronds were all done with a small, fine brush as the size of this painting is only 8" x 10".  Perhaps I should resign myself to the fact that this is my favored style of painting. 

Here's the final photo titled "Beach Palms" -

"Beach Palms"  8" x 10"  Acrylic on canvas

© 2012 Barbara Blair

With this painting hanging in your home or office, you can enjoy a mini visual vacation all year 'round, and imagine relaxing on the beach with sand between your toes, if only in your mind. 

You can find purchasing information on my website here.  Open edition giclée reproductions are also available on paper or canvas.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

Here's the first progress update on the "palm trees and waves" painting I'm currently working on.  It will have the same color palette as "Tropical Beach" - bright and happy!

© 2012 Barbara Blair

I'm still working on the water and waves, and will then put in the palm fronds and beach details. 

More pics to be posted!

Here's a quick sketch of the painting I started today.  It's a beach scene with palm fronds in the foreground and breaking ocean waves.  I'll be painting it in happy tropical colors, and will post photos of the work-in-progress:

© 2012 Barbara Blair

I painted this tropical beach scene with palm trees in a very colorful palette, using a lot of warm colors to contrast with the blues and turquoise of the sea and sky.  This is a departure from my former paintings, and I really like the mix of colors.   Here's my preliminary sketch:

After transfering the sketch to the canvas, I laid in the sky and basic colors for the sea and beach, and then outlined the shape of the palm trees.  Here's my first photo of the painting in progress: 

 I then developed the palm trees and the waves a little more.  I wanted to use a lot of colors in the palm leaves.  Here's the second work in progress photo:

And here's the final painting with lots of happy tropical colors - and a sailboat of course!  I had a bit of trouble getting the shadows of the trees on the beach right, but finally arrived at something I was satisfied with: 

"Tropical Beach"  5" x 7"  Acrylic on canvas

I really like this brighter color palette, and plan to do more pieces with it. 

This painting can be purchased here.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

My latest acrylic painting titled "Dolphin Love" is whimsical and stylized, showing dolphins, waves and a heart motif.  It is embellished with gold on the dolphins, galaxy and stars.

"Dolphin Love"  12x12  Acrylic on canvas
© 2012 Barbara Blair

What I wanted to express in this painting is the magical quality of the dolphins and the ocean in which they live and play.  Most people who love the ocean will probably agree that dolphins are pretty special!

"Dolphin Love" can be purchased in my Whimsical Collection here.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

I've been expanding my experiments with mixed media and collage.  This piece titled "Tides" includes photographs of shore birds that I took on one of my recent beach walks, as well as text of several lines from one of my poems.

Here's the final painting:

"Tides"   8" x 10"    Mixed Media/Collage with poetry on canvas      © 2012 Barbara Blair

"The ocean tides both high and low

Endlessly in and out they go

Moving waters up and down

On the beaches near my town."

Poetry © 2010 Barbara Blair. 

Excerpted from my book titled "Ocean Songs For The Young At Heart."

The painting also includes a shell stencil that I cut, giving a raised effect using molding paste, and I've added a rough stucco texture to indicate sand in some areas.  I really like the dimensional effects of these mediums.

To give you an idea of my process, here's a photo of my preliminary composition before glueing anything down, and before I began to add paint to the canvas.  The non-photographic elements are cropped designs from some of my other paintings:

I moved the elements around a bit to get a more pleasing composition, and also decided to replace the "wave" design on the left of center with another photo of the curlews on the beach.   Here's the first revision of the composition after I painted the canvas and glued down the basic elements: 

I then decided to eliminate the small shell border on the left, and instead make a larger version of the design as a raised stencil.  It needed to be balanced by adding more of the design at the bottom right, thus eliminating the photo of the crab which was not very visible at this point.  I then added the phases of the moon, which helped to tell the story of the tides, plus sand texture and more paint. 

And here again is the final painting: 

This was a very enjoyable exercise in which I learned more about the various mediums available, as well as design composition.  I found I had to set the painting aside a couple of times though, before deciding the best way  to proceed further. 

I really like the versatility and possibilities of mixed media and collage, and plan to do more of it.

For pricing and purchasing information click here.

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Three of my peaceful land, sea and sky paintings are currently on exhibit at the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Center in Encinitas, CA. 

Describing my paintings as "portals into the infinite", James G. Meade PhD, Director of the TM Center reacted this way to the exhibit: "You're walking across the living room, and the next instant you find yourself transported to another dimension. You glance over, and you just get drawn in, and in, and in."

"The Sailboat"    12" x 16"   Mixed Media

"Coastal Meadow"   12" x 16"

"Off-Shore Calm"   12" x 16"

Would you like a tranquil, contemplative painting in your home or office to transport you mentally to a more peaceful place?  It's a great stress-reducing tool that you can use over and over, as often as you need it!

I specialize in custom commissions and can create a painting uniquely for you in just the right size and colors for your space.  Let's talk.  I can be reached at 760-966-1295, or send me an email.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

I've painted a third whimsical sea shell as part of my Miniatures Collection.  It is titled  "Sand Dollar" and matches the other two 4" x 4" sea shell miniatures in color and size - "Sea Star" and "Star Shell".  Each one comes with a little easel for tabletop display.  Alternatively they could be purchased as a set of three to be hung on the wall in a grouping, either vertically or horizontally. (To see all three of them together, click on the "Miniatures" link above.)

"Sand Dollar"  4" x 4"  Acrylic on canvas

© 2011 Barbara Blair

If you'd like to buy the set to hang on the wall and don't want the easels, send me an email and I will adjust the pricing for you. 

This week I've been painting slightly larger miniatures for holiday gift giving -  in a 4"x4" size.  Two are in my whimsical style embellished with gold paint, and two are in mixed media with paper collage, sea shells, pearls and semi-precious stones.  Each comes with a little wooden easel so that it can be displayed on a shelf, table or other surface.

"Sea Star"  4"x4"  Acrylic on canvas

© 2011 Barbara Blair

"Star Shell"  4"x4"  Acrylic on canvas

© 2011 Barbara Blair

For more information and pricing on these whimsical miniatures, click on the titles.

"Sea Flower, Rose"  4"x4"

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

© 2011 Barbara Blair

"Sea Flower, Aqua Blue"  4"x4"

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

© 2011 Barbara Blair

For more information and pricing on these mixed media miniatures, click on the titles.

I've added a fourth coastal painting to my Miniature Collection in time for holiday gift giving.  It's a beach scene with sailboats in the distance, and has the same soft color palette that I've designed to complement just about any coastal lifestyle or beach house decorating scheme.

               "Sailboats"  2-½" x 3-½"

               © 2011 Barbara Blair

The next group of miniatures I'll be painting will be in 4" x 4" size with mixed media, using sea shells, sand and maybe some beads.

I'm busy creating miniature originals of coastal and beach scenes for holiday gift giving.  They are very small paintings with a very small price, which I am offering as multiple originals.  Although I paint the same image multiple times, each one is slightly different and therefore unique, as it is hand-painted by me, and not a mechanical reproduction. 

Each one comes with a cute little easel so that the art can be displayed on shelves, tables, mantles or other decorative options.  These make great gifts for the coastal lifestyle and beach lovers on your list.  It's also an affordable way to help a friend or loved one start or add to their collection of original artwork.

They are priced at $29.00 each plus tax (California residents only) and shipping of $5.00 by priority mail to the continental US.  If you'd like to order several, the shipping would only total $5.00 as I'll send them at the same postal flat rate, but in a larger box.  However, you need to call or email me so that I can make the shipping adjustment on your purchase.

This photo shows the three images that I've completed so far.  I have a few more designs in the works, some of which are a slightly larger 4"x4" size which will be priced a little higher.  I'll be getting them onto this website as quickly as I can complete and photograph them. 

The challenge is to design pictures that are simple and not too detailed so that I can offer them to you at such a reasonable price.

Click here for purchasing information on this collection.

Continuing on from my previous blog post (Peaceful Water Paintings - Part 1) about my learning process in painting water, I wanted the third canvas to be larger, so here it is:

 "Peaceful Water, Turquoise"   24x24"

My goal for this piece was to be somewhat abstract without a lot of brushstrokes or detail, and use my established style of softly blending colors.  This idea worked well for my intended result of a peaceful, non-busy image.  It has less lines and ripples in it than in "Peaceful Water, Blue" (previous blog post).

My biggest challenge in this painting was working with acrylics, my paint of choice.  The colors are lighter in value when wet, and dry darker.  So it takes some practice in the paint mixing to know whether the value is right before applying it. 

This painting needed quite subtle gradations of color and values in order for the finished effect to be soft and somewhat ethereal.  I had to rework some of the ripples and areas of light on the water several times before getting the values that I wanted. 

Overall, I'm pleased with this piece, and plan to do more similar ones in soft colors, some on larger canvases. This is also my favorite of the three I've done so far, because I love all shades of turquoise.  It's my favorite color!

For more information and pricing on "Peaceful Water, Turquoise", click on the title below the image.

If you'd like information and pricing regarding custom sizes and colors, please email me or call 760-966-1295.  This style of painting is perfect for any room in a coastal or beach house decorating scheme, or any space where rest and relaxation is desired.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

I've been wanting to create peaceful water paintings for a while now - just water and nothing else.  Water is tricky to paint because it's constantly moving and changing, and reflections are different colors and values than the objects being reflected.  So I gave it a try this month, and here are my results.  I didn't include any reflections as I wanted to focus on just the water.

I started with several experiments on paper first to get a feel for the brush strokes and blending required to indicate light ripples on the water.  I didn't want any large waves, just a peaceful water image that was slightly abstract. 

Here's the first completed canvas with a simple overall blue color palette:

"Peaceful Water, Blue     12x12"

My second water painting includes more colors and detail, plus I've added the effect of sunlight on the water.  I wanted to keep the first couple of canvases small to start.  I like the way this one turned out: 

"Sunlit Water, Blue & Green  10x8"

I think they would both look great in larger sizes, such as a 24-inch, 30-inch or 36-inch square.  I've also completed a larger one that I'll blog about in a couple of days.  To find out more about these two paintings, click on the titles under the images.

If you'd like information and pricing regarding custom sizes and colors, please email me or call 760-966-1295.  This style of painting is perfect for any room in a coastal or beach house decorating scheme, or any space where rest and relaxation is desired.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

Is your home a refuge and retreat where you can relax and reenergize?  When you walk through the door, does the stress of the day melt away?  Or if not, is there a special room in your home where you can escape from the pressures of daily life - a space that has soothing colors, soft lines, comforting furnishings and peaceful artwork?

As a former interior designer, I have been interested in the psychological and healing possibilities of the built environment for many years.  It is my main motivator for painting coastal, tropical and water images, beside the fact that I've had a love affair with the ocean all my life. 

• Paintings of water provide you with a serene energy for your home that is soothing, calming and stress-reducing. 
• Hotels and spas around the world focus on water elements to reinforce the rejuvenating, refreshing purpose of a resort.
• Research shows that peaceful paintings of water and landscapes in healthcare facilities promote healing and reduce the length of patient stays.

This month I’ve been adding to my Serenity Collection of coastal water and landscape paintings which are very minimal in design.  Here are three of my new additions in soft, muted colors:

"Coastal Calm"    12" x 12"

© 2011 Barbara Blair

"Distant Shore"   12" x 12"

© 2011 Barbara Blair

"Tranquil Coast"   12" x 12"

© 2011 Barbara Blair

Although these pieces are a smaller 12x12" size, I welcome custom commissions in colors of your choice in larger sizes such as 18", 24", 30" or 36" square.

These images are ideal over a living room sofa, in a dining room, a bedroom, a meditation room, or anywhere in the home where you would like to create a peaceful, soothing retreat for rest and relaxation. 

You will find them on my website here.  They are very reasonably priced.  If you would like pricing on larger sizes, please call me at 760-966-1295 or send me an email. 

My next project is to paint larger sizes with these themes, and they will be posted to my website soon, so please check back.

 Here are some sobering facts about stress:

• Stress has become an epidemic in our society, and many people have accepted it as part of their daily lives without realizing the toll it takes on our health and well-being.
• Stress is responsible for 90% of health problems.  Almost every major illness has been linked to chronic stress.
• Stress is a flight or fight response.  It creates completely different chemicals in your body than joy and love.
• Everyday you lose and have to repair and replace hundreds of billions of cells.  Stress hormones shut down the immune system, and inhibit growth of the body so that the body breaks down, ages and gets diseases.
•  Stress is the #1 cause of depression, and one in 15 Americans are depressed.
• 40 million people in the U.S., or 1 in 7, are under some kind of anxiety or stress that is draining them.

While creating your home as a supportive retreat is a start, here are more suggestions to help you reduce stress: 

• Identify the people or circumstances that cause you stress, and learn to manage or avoid them.
• Reduce the amount of television watching, and banish noisy video games to a secondary room of the house.
• Listen to peaceful music combined with soothing sounds of nature.
• Learn to say “no” when asked to do things that you don’t want to do.
• Laugh more.  Laughter heals.
• Practice a meditation technique every day.  Transcendental Meditation (TM) is excellent.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get enough sleep
• Eat a healthy nutritious diet.
• Forgive yourself and others.
• Start a daily “Gratitude” list.   
• Be aware of your negative thoughts and emotions and focus on the positive instead.  As you release negative emotions you open the way to experience more joy and peace of mind.

This peaceful coastal acrylic painting of the sea, beach and sailboats in soft light colors of blue, aqua and beige will create a serene feeling in any home or beach cottage.

"Beach Walk"   24x20

© 2011 Barbara Blair

Living near the sea in Southern California, I love to take walks on the beach several times a week, especially when the tide is out, exposing wide expanses of sandy beach.  I frequently see sailboats on the horizon from nearby Oceanside Harbor.

Although my view of the Pacific Ocean does not have land in the distance as shown in this painting, I added it for compositional reasons to provide a strong focal point of the white sails against the darker land mass. 

This painting is also less detailed and more minimal in application from most of my previous work, as I have been attempting to loosen up my style.  The foreground was applied quickly with a palette knife, rather than getting into detail.  It is also quite textural in some areas where I have applied thick paint mixed with gel with quick strokes of the palette knife.  This can be seen especially in the white foam of the breaking waves, and to a lesser degree in the details of the water.

The result is that this painting took less time than I would expect for a canvas of this size (24x20) and is therefore very reasonably priced.  For pricing and purchase information, click here.

My intention in creating this mixed media collage painting was to evoke a feeling of abundance - our true birthright.   It is very rich and shimmery with gold, pearls, semi-precious stones, sea shells and many tiny seed beads.  That's why I call it "jewelry for the walls".

                            "Secret Treasures"   11" x 14"        © 2011 Barbara Blair

It's easy to get caught up in the illusion of  lack, which seems to be the favorite topic of the media these days.  So it's good to remind ourselves that the true nature of the universe is total abundance, and we are also a part of that universal flow, and not separate from it.  We have only to look at a single sunflower with it's thousands of seeds, or the number of leaves on a tree.

Here's a close-up detail view:

To find out how to purchase "Secret Treasures"  and have a daily visual reminder of abundance in your home click here.

And as one more thought about the abundant nature of the universe, today I read that scientists have just discovered a planet that appears to be made out of diamond.  Hmmm, imagine walls covered in diamonds .......

This seashore painting with mixed media titled "The Sailboat" includes paper collage, seashells, beach sand and stones, and also has a few pieces of rose quartz and fancy jasper semiprecious stones in it.  The painting is very textural and has a light, happy feeling reminiscent of a sunny day at the beach.

"The Sailboat"   12x16"    Mixed Media

© 2011 Barbara Blair

When I first planned the design, it did not include a sailboat, but then I found a piece of seashell in my collection which was perfectly shaped like a sail.  It had nice smooth edges, having been tumbled by the waves and sand, and it was just the right size.  To me this was a delightful find, so I worked the composition around the sailboat, making it the focal point of the painting. 

Detail #1 of "The Sailboat"

Detail #2 of "The Sailboat"

The rocky area in the foreground has three perfect pretty little shells, which I discovered in my collection after I had applied the paint colors and semiprecious stones.  I felt that the painting needed something more, so they were also an exciting find, because they are a natural color match to what I had already done.  Serendipity!

If you'd like a joyful reminder of a day spent by the sea to hang in your home or office, "The Sailboat" can be purchased by clicking here. 

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

"Tidal Treasures"  11x14"  Mixed Media

© 2011 Barbara Blair

Here's the first of my "jeweled" mixed media paintings.  "Tidal Treasures" features semi-precious rose quartz crystal chips, pearl seed beads, pieces of sea shells, beach stones, sand and paper.  It is also embellished with gold and irridescent paints.  The effect is organic, rich, shimmery and textural.

These mixed media paintings are quite a departure from my regular acrylic paintings.  As the style is more abstract, I was hoping that they would be looser in application and therefore faster to complete, but not so.  I can't seem to get away from my natural tendency to do detailed work.  The placement of the stones, sand and gems was fairly time consuming, and the tiny seed beads were especially challenging, since the glue is milky when wet (but dries clear) making it difficult to see what I'm doing. 

However, I am pleased with the overall effect, and it was well worth the effort.  I have several more images in my head that have yet to materialize on canvas! 

You can see more information about this painting here.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

I received such a positive response to my mixed media paintings at a recent show, that I was encouraged to expand on the idea.  "Amethyst Shores" is very textural, which is part of what attracted so many comments.  It was inspired by the rocky coastline of the Monterey Peninsular, where I lived for a few years. 

The painting includes several textured mediums, as well as sand and pieces of seashells from the Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove.  I originally wanted to include semi-precious gemstones, in this case amethyst - but was not confident about the type of glue to use so that the stones would hold fast to the canvas, and not be drowned by the glue.

I was glad to be able to spend most of last week experimenting in my studio, after several weeks spent ploughing through a daunting “To Do” list of show preparations and other business/marketing tasks.  I realized how important it is for me to have a balanced mix of left brain business and right brain creative activities scheduled into my calendar.  Too much of either throws me off.

After my experimentations, I am now satisfied with the glue issue in using semi-precious stones in future mixed media paintings.  I also played with iridescent and metallic paints, and purchased more semi-precious stones for my tool box.  It is wonderful what beautiful things nature creates for our enjoyment!

The overall result is that I am now in the process of producing a group of paintings with the intention of creating "jewelry for the walls", which I find quite exciting!

These cute little fish are painted on small deep edge canvases.  They are 4" x 5" x 1-1/2", and can stand upright on a shelf or table.  They make a nice accessory, or can be hung on the wall in a grouping.  No frame required!

I've always been fascinated by the amazing colors and patterns of tropical fish, but confess that I don't know very much about them.  So I had to do some research to find out what I was painting, so that I could name them correctly.  I was surprised to learn that there are several different kinds of each species.

                                              "Tang Fish"  4x5"  Acrylic on canvas                                               

"Butterfly Fish"  4x5"  Acrylic on canvas

The tang fish that I've painted is called a Powder Blue Tang, and he has several cousins with different colorations.  I love his bright yellow fin contrasting with the blue, and the wide white stripe behind his almost black head.

While I was painting the butterfly fish, I thought he was an angel fish because of his bold stripes, until I went on a search for identifying photos.  Surprise!  He also has many butterfly cousins of varying colors, and not all with stripes.

I hope all the tropical fish collectors and aquarium aficianados will forgive me for my ignorance.  Being an artist and driven to paint the beauty of nature is a learning process in more ways than one!

Click here for more information and pricing. 

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

Palm trees, beautiful anchorages for sailboats, tranquil turquoise waters, and lovely  sandy beaches are among my favorite subjects to paint.  The scene in this painting is of nowhere in particular, just an idyllic tropical setting from my imagination. 

While I was painting it, and trying to decide on an appropriate title, I was reminded of my island hopping days in the year that I spent living on sailboats and sailing about a third of the way around the world.

That was such a long time ago, that it seems like a previous lifetime.  I’ve sailed the full length of the Mediterranean Sea, west from the coast of Turkey, visiting numerous Greek Islands, Malta, Ibiza, Gibraltar, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.

The Caribbean was where my most favorite island hopping adventures began.  My definition of this delightful pastime is when you can leave one island in the morning, spend a lovely day sailing with the balmy breezes of the trade winds and gentle swells, while basking in the warmth of the sun, and arrive at a different island in time for dinner, or even sooner.  Ah, what a life!

This can also be experienced cruising among the Greek Islands, but quite a few of them are further apart and take longer to get to. There are also strong meltemi winds which blow in the summer months that can create large swells and unpleasant sailing conditions.  Also, my favorite image of tropical foliage and palm trees are not part of the scenery in many of the arid Greek Islands.  They are beautiful, but in a different way.

Some of the lush, tropical Caribbean islands I visited were Barbados, Antigua, Guadalupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Martin and St. Barths.  Historically, these islands were settled mostly by the British, French, Dutch and Spanish, making them very varied in cultural influences, governments and currencies.

When I returned to the U.S. midwest, integrating back into a “normal” life after a year of living on sailboats seemed like quite a challenge.  All that I could think about was getting to San Diego and hopping on over to Hawaii on another boat!  But that never happened. 

These days I spend a lot of time island hopping in my imagination.  It’s not the same as the real thing, but quite enjoyable anyway, and keeps me busy painting the scenes that I see in my head, while enjoying the beautiful San Diego coastal lifestyle.

Oh, and by the way, as mentioned in a previous post, I get sea sick – not while island hopping with the balmy trade winds though.  But that’s another story.

Click to find out more about my painting “Island Hopping.”

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I love sailing and sailboats!  In the past I've done quite a bit of sailing, in fact, lived on boats for a year while sailing a third of the way around the world.  (More on that later, maybe.) 

Unfortunately, I get seasick - crazy, I know - but I'm not alone.  Many sailors suffer from it, but can't stay away from the wonderful lure of the sea, and the magical quality of being transported across the waves by the wind in the sails. 

Since I've sailed in and out of many harbors, and also enjoyed watching boats come and go while on terra firma, this first in a series of sailboat paintings is titled "Leaving The Harbor". 

I paint mostly from my imagination, so this harbor could be anywhere, and it's a beautiful sunny morning as the skipper in his classic wooden sloop heads out toward the open sea.  The water is still calm and there's a light breeze.  As soon as he clears the headland, the wind will pick up and the boat will be greeted by a gentle swell.   That's my idea of a pleasant sail - no more stormy seas for me!

Click here to find out more about this painting: "Leaving The Harbor"  8"x10" Acrylic on canvas.

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

The focus of my work is to create paintings that are stress-reducing, rejuvenating and uplifting, and I’m currently working on a series of “waterscape” paintings inspired by my love of the sea and coastal areas. I’ve personally always found the ocean or any large body of water to be very calming and balancing.
                                                       

 

I especially enjoy long walks on a beach when the tide is low and there’s a wide expanse of sand, either in the early morning or early evening hours when there are only a few people around. “Solitude” seems like the perfect name for this ocean painting, which provides a visual escape to a peaceful meditative place – an experience that begins with the eyes and expands to the heart and soul.

Find out more about "Solitude" here.

 

 

"Off-Shore Calm"   12" x 16"  Acrylic on Canvas
© Copyright 2010 Barbara Blair

                                                                                                           
Imagine drifting in a boat on a balmy summer day, not far from the shore. Feel the gentle motion of the water rocking you as you lie in the warm sun. There’s no sound except for the peaceful lapping of the water on the side of the boat. All is calm. Life is good.

My coastal and water paintings are intended to provide you with momentary “joyful escapes and peaceful retreats” for you to experience in your home or office.

Find out more about "Off-Shore Calm" here.

See more pictures in the waterscape series.

I’ve wanted to do a painting of the Snowy Egret for some time. I think the white egrets are especially beautiful and graceful birds. I see them often in the Monterey Bay area.

I love walking on the beach at low tide and finding pretty shells.  This painting is about all the lovely gifts that the ocean brings us.  The repeating shell border took a long time to paint. It would have been much easier to stencil the basic shell motif, as I would have done if it were a decorative painting project, but I didn't want the shells to look uniform as in a stencil. 
 
I painted this on a smooth board as an experiment, since I thought perhaps the finely detailed work would be easier than on the texture of canvas.  I decided that I prefer canvas to the smooth surface, regardless of the amount of detail involved.  To find out more about "Jewels Of The Sea" click here.

Here is my poem about this painting: 


       Jewels Of The Sea

Such pretty treasures I have found
While strolling on a beach;
Jewel-like shells and lacy fronds
All within my reach.

The tide had left them as a gift
To coax me to explore
What I might find beneath the waves
Beyond the sandy shore.

I imagined handsome fish
With multi-colored coats
And all kinds of lovely things
You cannot see from boats.

The ocean is a magic place
With secrets far and wide
That sometimes if you're lucky
You'll discover with the tide.

© Copyright 2009 Barbara Blair

This poem and painting is featured in my book "Ocean Songs For The Young At Heart."

To stay current with my latest work and art activities, become a member of my email newsletter.  I send it out approximately once a month or less, and will never share your information with anyone.

I have written poems for several of my paintings which explain my inspiration for creating them.  The collection of paintings and poems is in a self-published book titled "Ocean Songs For The Young At Heart". 

This idea was prompted by a friend who thought several of my whimsical paintings had a child-like quality, and suggested that I write stories about them for a children's book.  The resulting "stories" took the form of simple rhymes.  I think the paintings and the poems appeal to the child in all of us.  

To find out more about the painting "Moon Dust At Sea"  click here. 

Here's the poem for this painting: 

Be sure to sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest update about this book and other artworks.  I will also be adding a few more stories in rhyme about my paintings to my blog shortly.