Leaning into the afternoons

Yesterday I took a walk on the beach to clear my head and get some new images of the water that I hoped would inspire the next painting.  It was a pleasant day, not overly warm, but the snow is gone and spring is in the air.

The spring run off cut a swathe across the stony beach on its way to the sea and it was flowing fast around larger rocks, creating great movement and light, just what I needed.  I love the light play across the colours of these rocks as the water moves over them.  Maybe a painting in its future, though quite complex.

The surf was fairly calm for the Atlantic and I only had to jump out of the way once or twice when it warned me that I was getting to close. 

The cliffs that surround the cove were shades of purple greys, but the water caught my eye. It looked almost tropical with shades of blues and turquoise shot through the grey and silver.  The last vestiges of winter are still clinging to the crevices of the cliffs in the form of ice.

Each trip to the shore reveals new inspiration for drawings and paintings.  I am  lucky to have the ocean on my doorstep.  Another of my favourite poems by Pablo Neruda - Leaning into the Afternoons.  The film, the language, the music, all paint a better image than I ever could with paints.  That sound of gulls is so evocative of the ocean.  I know it in my sleep, I hear it every day.  Neruda was a genius with words.