November 1, 2002 Issue
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It
is a fortunate circumstance, indeed, to have had the privelege to not only
be invited on board a submarine, but to be there while undergoing real
maneuvers underwater. My oldest son, David, joined the Navy in 1982.
He was trained as a submariner and was assigned to the U.S.S.Georgia stationed
at Bangor, Washington. In 1987, the Naval base held a parent's day,
when families of the sailors could tour the submarine. David advised
me to wear trousers and comfortable shoes, as I would be going up and down
steep stairs (Dresses and high-heeled shoes would be inconvenient to say
the least!).
My husband and I were welcomed aboard the
Georgia and given a guided tour of the boat. David showed us where
he worked as a "fire control technician" (He is the guy who sets up the
missles to be fired). We saw the huge missle tubs and where the men
bunk down between them. We were awed by the "angles and dangles".
This was how they referred to the diving and surfacing of the sub. We saw
the torpedo room. The torpedos were a lot bigger than I had imagined!
We had a great lunch on board. I was so excited I can't remember
if it was steaks or hot dogs! But, the biggest thrill was when I
met the captain of the boat and was allowed to look through the periscope,
and then ascend the conning tower to view the world from that lofty position.
As we reluctantly left the Georgia, we were each awarded a certificate
designating us as an honorary submariner. Leaving the submarine was
like leaving the movie theatre after watching your favorite movie come
to an end; you want to see it again and again. I am ready to go to
sea in a heartbeat.
Next Issue: Wild and Wonderful |
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Something Entirely Different
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I built my career on
being a classic seascape painter. It is, and always will be,
my first "love" when I express myself. However, being an artist means
more than just one aspect of the field. As an artist, I see all things
in terms of creativity. The world around me takes on a whole new
meaning when I really look at it. I see sunset clouds and imagine
my brush or pastel stick stroking the colors that dazzle me. I see
the ripple of muscles in a magnificent animal and mentally sketch it.
Travelling along the highways or backroads, I am always looking for the
unusual, the beautiful, the common place, or the rare scene that I can
recreate on canvas or paper. Whether it is sheep grazing on a high
seaside meadow, or a dragonfly sofltly alighting on a delicate bloom, my
senses are stirred. Painting something entirely different from seascapes,
keeps me stimulated and challenged. "Painting
something entirely different from seascapes, keeps me stimulated and challenged"
On my web-site, I have created a category entitled "Entirely Different",
beginning with my pastel paintings of cloud formations that I have observed
which are remarkable in some way. The one called "Faith" was
a glorious morning when the rays of sunlight peeked around the edges of
quickly disappearing rain clouds. The moment was fleeting, but very
memorable. Then the opportunity presented itself to do a study of
clouds on a day late in autumn when the clouds are thin and high and glowing
with the cooling sunshine of approaching winter. This one I called
"Hope". I plan to do several more in this series with, again, inspirational
titles to convey the wonder that rests upon me when I see these lovely
cloud formations.
Another aspect of the different paintings
I have been exploring is of the industrial areas of small towns and large
cities. Near Aberdeen, Washington there is a |
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small factory that once produced imitation vanilla.
On trips to the ocean, my husband and I would drive past the scene and
the fragrance of vanilla would delightedly tickle my nose. It was
connected to a pulp and paper mill. A long pipe ran from the paper mill
to the vanillim factory. The vanillim was made from the wood
pulp From a distance we could see the plume of white that rose
from the stacks of the mill, in fair or rainy weather. I made up
my mind to research the scene and to paint it. In the interim, the
vanillim factory and pulp portion of the mill was closed down. It is the
paper mill and its stacks that I painted in "Aberdeen Industrial".
The smoke stacks still emit a white column against the sky. I do,
still, enjoy driving by and seeing the industrial area in full swing."You
cannot beat outer space for something unusual to paint"
I am an ardent fan of trains and train whistles, listening for the woe-full
sound of them in the distance, night or day. When I stay in a motel
or inn near the train tracks, there is an irresistable compulsion pulling
me to the nearest window to watch the train go by, and to listen to them
as they rumble on down the line. The clean and curving lines of railroad
tracks have long intrigued me. My first pastel of this subject is
the skunk train in Fort Bragg, California. It is by no means the
last!
And to top off the category of something entirely
different thus far, I painted "The Color Of Space". You cannot
beat outer space for something unusual to paint. Here is the opportunity
to let my imagination go wild. With the advent of the Hubble
Space Telescope, some of those imaginings are brought to light, and not
so far-fetched after all. However, using the photographs taken by
NASA as inspiration, and with my yearning to find out more about those
wonderful stars that I gaze upon at night, I know I will be painting more
outer space scenes.  |
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