Messing about in boats

I have to say that this was one painting (or pair of paintings) executed under the most hostile of weathers.  No, not so much heat, but the desiccating wind.  I had to stop on the second morning and go back for a short session closer to dawn on the third day, and then it was a struggle.  The good news is that once I’d drawn up the letters, I could quickly go from one side to the other, painting layers, knowing full well that that my start point would be completely dry by the time I returned to it in about 25 minutes.  At the end of the second day I had to quit because the paint was drying on the brush.  The east side of the boat was too hot to work, and the west side, in the shade and wind, I was shivering.  And I still had to figure out how to spray with an acrylic glaze with the UV component – in a stiff breeze.

Nevertheless ‘Poseidon’ has its name on its sides and today will be test launched.  Eventually this boat will carry a solar powered pump which will pump water from the Salton Sea into the marina ‘fingers’ in Desert Shores, to maintain the water level and mitigate red agae.  Launch day is on Sunday.

Salton Sea News

A symposium on community impacts, recent research, and possible solutions

via Shrinking Shorelines and the Salton Sea — Salton Sea Sense

Collapse of an eco-system and the last superhero.

I’m not usually an openly political person – this is something of a political posting, but more of an ecological item, not party politics.  If you live anywhere in North or Central America, this could affect you.

Monthly Newsletter

 

Going bananas enough to have a day off.

We went to the International Banana Museum on Saturday, one of the few Touristy Things To Do Near Me that we had never done.

This is housed in half a former bar in North Shore, CA. The bananatender is the son of the original bar owner. The other half of the bar is now a liquor/convenience store.

Fred started the museum about five years ago when he stumbled on the Guinness Book of Records Banana-related-items collection available on eBay and decided to make it his retirement business.

There are a lot of bannanery things here as you can imagine.

The banana flipflops were one of my favorites.

I couldn’t believe there was a piece of banana-related artwork in there by an artist we know – D actually has a one of his prints.  Neither could Fred and Kim. They’re looking forward to me getting them in touch with him.

We couldn’t resist splitting a banana split. Can’t remember the last time I had one.  They had a decent selection of ice cream flavors too.

If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a look – but do go to their website first and call to make sure of their open hours.

A forever home.

 

Ocotillo Dawn is one of my early oil paintings – as ever the favorite subject – Dawn off my back porch.  A few weeks ago one of my neighbors was visiting for lunch and took a shine to it!  So, its forever home ends up being in Salton City, about a mile from where it was born.

 

Update from Salton Sea

I wasn’t able to attend the fundraiser/celebration on Earth Day, being as I was in Menlo Park that weekend, about 10 hours drive northier. Here’s the report that Celeste (yes, I do know just about everyone mentioned) wrote about the event.

Salton Sea Earth Day

 

 

Imperial County Tourism

 

Not many people think of Imperial County California – one of the poorest counties in the nation, and one of the more sparsely populated – as a tourist destination.  But there’s actually an amazing amount of things to do here. Yesterday Doug and I went to fill him in on some of the places I’ve taken others when he’s not been with me.  First we visited the mudpots, then stopped in Calipatria for lunch.  We recommend Archie’s – on the east side of 111 about a block north of the stop sign.  You can’t miss this totem pole!

 

 

 

Not only did we have a fun time, but we found an new spot – the Gold Rock Trading Post and Museum.

 

Sadly the extra time we spent exploring Gold Rock meant we had little time at the Center of the World, but they’re both places we’d go back to. I’m compiling a list of Touristy Things in Imperial County on my website which I’ll update from time to time as I find new things – and I’ll work on timings and places to stay in between.  I am figuring it would be very easy to spend a week here if you’re not into simply lounging by the pool.

This is at the State Park, just south of North Shore

If you are, then in answer to a question many people ask – YES! – you can swim safely in the Salton Sea and here is Park Ranger Jose Renteria who does just that quite often.

This is for you

“The reflecting pool”, probably 2005. The posts seen below are entirely under water.

Supporting the restoration of the Salton Sea and making it stable and renewable is not just for the Sea, it’s not just for me and the sunrises that I paint, it’s for anyone in the US who eats vegetables.  Allowing the Salton Sea to dry up will destroy the most fertile farmland in the country.

“The reflection pool”, January 2015

I have not met the star in the movie, but I know some of the production crew!  Please support their goal to make a longer movie about Randy’s journey, in order to publicize the need to act now.

“The Reflecting Pool”, January 2016.  The posts seen above are to my left.

 

You can donate on Kickstarter to this project.   Please do so.

 

Finished product

In last month’s newsletter I reported on a local community art project….well…here’s the finished product…. the newly restored ‘Salton Sea Beach’ sign.

February’s monthly newsletter

This month I’m reflecting on some Community Service that I have been engaged in.