Pretending to be a tourist is a wonderful thing. Meeting new people and feeding off of each other, that's amazing too. Put those two together and you have the recipe for a spectacular day.
Everywhere I go, I tend to paint. Sometimes people question me and must stand and stare at me like I'm a performance artist or installation piece. Other times it is a completely peaceful experience and I never want it to end. Seattle, being the wet destination that it is, has few opportunities to really be engulfed in the sun and simply appreciate the city for all that it is.
Yesterday was an exception. It was an amazing day for painting. The sun was out, the wind was soft and the sights were many.
I met up with the Seattle Plein Air group and we got settled onto the docks and started creating away. Some people were more prepared than I, with their easels and chairs, but I found myself sitting on the concrete, sprawled out in the sun. This was the perfect way to get a fresh perspective of the marina though. Instead of just seeing the masts and the decks of the tugs, trawlers and sailboats, I was able to sit and stare at their reflections and what lay beneath the water.
As I painted, sailors would walk by and comment "Now, that boat there: that's the one you want to paint" or "I just pulled my boat in if you're looking for a new subject..." I think that next time somebody suggests a topic to me, I'll jump on it. I can always finish something that I've started, but if there is something that needs to be painted so badly that a lonely sailor suggests it, well, it would be foolish to keep passing that up.
Long story short, I love beautiful days on the water and enjoying fresh air while painting. It's the perfect day.
