Gone Coastal
A week on an island in Maine means only one thing: I’ve gone coastal. I shut off e-mail and social media, tune out news, turn off work, and I cram as much hiking, cycling, exploring, and, of course, painting as I can into seven highly cherished days. I live by the tides, stay up too late painting, wake up early to see the first light on the water, poke in tide pools, scour mudflats and rocky ledges for shorebirds, seek out new trails and vistas, dodge mosquitoes, and manage to come away both rejuvenated and exhausted. Here’s a peek inside my sketchbook…I’ll share a few more pieces in the coming days.
Click on any image to view larger in a slideshow.
Drawn In 
My eyes are so happy, absolutely captivating!
Thanks Sharon!
Wonderful watercolor,! What a wonderful memory! Thanks for sharing! Hope the healing goes quick 😏
Lauri
Thanks– yep, I see you noted the medical excursions– those sure pulled me out of my coastal immersion, but things are going fine so far.
Terrific! I love the map, and the scones, and the tree, and…
Thanks Michael…the scones were quite good, and the views, and the hiking, and…
These journal pages are such an inspiration! I especially love the shell and seaweed page.
I’m ‘going coastal’ next week here in Oregon. Thanks for posting these!
Bring your sketchbook and enjoy your trip! Thanks for checking in!
Your daily journal is so wonderful! I read the pages to my husband while we were eating breakfast. Your sketches are so refreshing…makes me want to visit Maine again.
These pages make me want to visit Maine again too! I miss those water views! Glad you enjoyed a bit of my vacation.
Your work is beautiful and inspiring. Thank you.
Thanks so much– glad you found some inspiration here.
I especially like the Barred Island and Duck Mountain sketches. The limited/softened colors and hues demonstrate how such can add richness, rather than be a limitation. Very nice.
Thanks Beth- I did both of those on scraps of watercolor paper, which added some subtlety. The sketch of Duck Mountain shows the scene of the accident and the trail Dan had to hike over for more than a mile with a broken ankle to get off the island. Wild country!
Sounds like heaven, Jean–except for the fall and hospital visits, of course. I think my favorite is the Conary Island page. Your sea urchins are exquisite.
Thanks Susan, I like that page, too. The colors just seemed to work well together. Plus it was a beautiful place! The broken ankle was quite unfortunate, but at least it was mid-week and health services were quite good.
Well done Jean.
Thanks Mike. The coast of Maine and the mountains of Vermont– two very special places!
I love the variety of content and composition in all these pages — from scones to seascapes and even shopping lists (love the ‘seltzer’!) I will get to ‘go coastal’ in another 10 days on Canada’s east and west coasts. I’ve been mulling over how to chronicle our five weeks so your journal has given me lots of ideas — thank-you! And my husband fractured his ankle 3 weeks ago so we’ve already got that element covered!
Oh- sorry your husband has a head start! Five weeks of exploration will give you lots a material to work with. I just tend to sketch what strikes me and what we’re doing, so there ends of being a good variety. I also wanted to work on coastal landscapes on this trip, and I wish I had time for more of that…but at least I managed a few. Enjoy your travels!
Thanks, will do!
I realize this post was done two years ago. But in my journey thru them, I must admit these are my favorites. Probably because this area is dear to our hearts. Not only is it beautiful, but our eldest daughter and her husband live just outside Acadia Ntnl Park. I just Love Maine’s wild coast line, it’s natural diversity; it’s ruggedness. Thank you for this gorgeous entry.
Thanks for your note Erica! What’s not to love about Maine’s wild coast? Maybe just that I can’t get there enough. Lucky for you to have family near Acadia, making it a doubly good destination. I will spend more time in Maine this summer, both for Arts and Birding and for an extended stay to paint on Hog Island. Thanks for pulling me back to the coast on a rainy November day!