Fine Art of Debbie Lamey-MacDonald

Prior to Thanksgiving weekend I found a treasure trove of subject matter in a park close to home.  I have visited the park many years ago, but had a nudge to return.  I was so delighted that I listened to that nudge.  I was like a child with a new toy.  There are so many paintings just begging to  be painted here.  I could do a whole show just from this one location.

My first study was done early in the morning.  It was a bright clear October morning.  The sun added a welcome warmth.  Seagulls clamored amongst strips of sandbar, enjoying feasts from the shallow waters. I found a little niche around a bend on the shoreline and was quite intrigued with the lighting in the distance.  I really liked how the light shone on the small buildings.  The red rooftops added interest to the scene, especially with autumn’s colors. I relished in the moment and wished I could freeze it so that time would stand still for a long welcomed pause.   The gates will be closing soon and driving into the park will be impossible.  A long hike would have to be made in order to reach my new found sanctuary.

The next day I was off again to paint two more studies in Powell’s Point Park.  One in the morning and one in the evening.  I loved the little strip of land before me and have found several angles it could be painted from. While I was painting a gaggle of geese arrived.  I could hear them long before they came around the bend! They were awesome to see and were quite close to me in the sky.  It didn’t take them long to vanish into the expansive distance though.  Visitors were arriving throughout the morning.  They too were trying to absorb these last few fine days in the park.

The evening  was glorious with its strong light against the fall colors!  I had to work extremely fast as the light was rapidly disappearing and October’s brisk air was moving in!  I was able to get a quick study in about forty minutes.  I had to pack up quickly as I was concerned that the gates would be closing by dusk and I couldn’t drive out.  While completing my reflection for this study a funny thought occurred to me.  I wondered if the seagulls found comfort in their daily routine.  Did they sometimes find it monotonous?  Routine can be comforting, but then again it can encourage complacency.  The danger then is to move through our day in auto pilot never being totally aware and forgetting to appreciate small present moments.