Just Home From Homer

The day we left Anchorage, it was sunny & bright. We stopped at the rest stop by the cutoff to Hope, & a nice young professional photographer offered to snap a picture of us together, so here we are, in a rare photo of the 2 of us. A bit squinty because of the bright sun, but such a beautiful day, who can complain!
We got up early on our 1st full day, & took a long walk on the beach. Clouds had moved in during the night, & it was intermittent rain & clouds the rest of our time in Homer, but we had a very restful, good time.
I took 148 photos, & can only show 7 in 1 blogging, so here are only a few of Homer for now. I'll add a few more later. I found this jellyfish the size of a dinner plate washed up on the beach.

The painting class was a meditative expeirience. I had no idea what I would paint, & since I'm not a painter, I was quite shocked that I managed to paint anything that was recognizable. The class was about the "PROCESS" not "Product". It was about painting what you were feeling. I didn't take pictures of other people's work, it just wouldn't have been right. It was a very private & individual expeience for each person. There were 13 women in the class. Some were actually painters & their art was amazing. One was a doctor, one worked in fused glass, a couple were photographers, one I think was some sort of therapist, one was a road crew manager. It was an interesting mix. All had some interest in art in one form or another. We all felt moved & changed by the class, & some are going to continue to meet & paint together for process.
My 1st painting became a portal. I've had portals on the brain for months now, so I finally got to do one. I didn't know what would be beyong the door, it started out sort of pretty & benign, but 2 sharks crept in, to represent the fears about cancer & my sister.
My next painting, I had no preconcieved idea of what it would be. I started with a design that I've drawn & quilted dozens of times. It was the Paisley like image in the upper right corner. I accidentally made a blue line with a 2nd brush in my left hand, & that became the start of the Firebird image. It really painted itself. Down below, on one of the leaves a tiny spider appeared. It too was a random accident of my paint, that decided it wanted to stay. I am arachniphobic, so it's lucky I didn't obliderate it!
My last, & by far the strangest painting was urged on me by Stewart. He said I should include a face (I balked loudly as I didn't think I could paint a face, since I'm not a painter), but a face came in, & it looks like a face, sort of, & the tree of life, & large sun, that started out as an orange that wasn't happy being just an orange... all sorts of strange dream-like imagery, & I had to hurry to finish as time ran out. But each time I look at these pictures I'm startled that I actually did them.
The last is the group together at the end, just before we all left. It was a very different sort of class. I never got to really know any of these people because we were so quiet & intent on what we were doing. Yet I feel connected some how, & would love to go back & do it again. I went for the CEU's but gained way more than that. I have a feeling of inner peace that I can't begin to explain. If ever any of you get the chance, take one of these workshops. You don't need to know how to paint.