Water is such a healing element in life and I was gifted with spending summers on one of the greatest bodies of water in America, Lake Michigan. Summer after summer were spent running on the hot sand, riding the waves and building sandcastles. The cottage was owned and cherished by my great Aunt and Uncle who loved to share this special place with family. It stood like a sentinel on the top of a dune overlooking the lake and every evening we would be graced with the most amazing sunsets. Storms were also exciting times as we watch the clouds build, felt the wind pick up and as the rain and lighting began we would run into the cottage. Safely nestle inside we could enjoy the lighting strikes over the lake and clap as the thunder roared overhead.
The memories are rich and varied and continued to build throughout my life as the cottage stayed in the family until the recent passing of my Mom, the last to own this timeless place. August 2nd it was sold and forever lost to myself and my 9 siblings.
We all took home memories every year in the form of photos, rocks collected along the expansive beach and sometimes a little bag of sand to run our fingers through till we were again digging our toes into its summer warmth.
For me there was so much more that I begin to return home with as I would spend hours on the beach painting. As an adult painting absorbed my being and I found it was a perfect endeavor allowing me to connect more deeply with the magic of Michigan and share this beauty with all to experience.
Over the years I have sold many of the beach paintings and they are in collections throughout the world. My biggest fan was my Mom who would fill the cottage and our home in Schenectady with the paintings she favored. But now she is gone and I offer these paintings to you as a way of sharing our deep love and connection to this unbelievable place, Lake Michigan.
Open Studies 2019 will be run for the first three weekends in October and my studio at 1345 Linden Avenue will be open each weekend from 12 - 6pm. Please come an experience the allure of this Grand Beach of Lake Michigan and let the images sooth your soul.