vacation Archives - Dora Sislian Themelis Art

Finished Friday

There is so much going on here I don’t know how I find time to post. In a nutshell: prepare to go on a vacation, go to the destination, return and unpack, dive right in to Holy Week preparations, attend church services, bake the required Easter things, keep up with the painting schedule, keep up with the Get Organized class, run the regular errands, and all that.

I am tired.

But here is a finished item for Friday, before I collapse!

Tomatoes ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
9×12 Watercolor, Arches cold press paper 140lb

Just thought I’d throw in the photos of the work in progress so you don’t have to jump around here to see it. And that brush I didn’t like working with over there in the center photo, you remember? A commenter had such good thoughts about using tools you love, and how this particular brush is supposed to be used.

Now I just have to finish up this week and a brand new Monday will be waiting for me. Ahhh..

Wordless on Wednesday

Nothing for Thursday

I decided to put myself on vacation this week, along with the rest of the world here. This being what they call these days “President’s” week and schools are closed, there is a nice hush in the neighborhood. Remember when there was George Washington’s birthday and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday? That’s all over. Soon no one will even know who they were. People will just think it’s time to go shopping or away.

People must really be on vacation, as in away from home. Not just on vacation, but gone altogether. It’s fine by me, but it’s surprising that there are no kids around, very little car traffic, and even the mail man is walking on tiptoe.

Well, good for those people who can go away and really be on vacation. That’s nice. So I’m “on vacation” too. Gorgeous is a teacher. She has the week off and is spending time with the Princess while I am free to do other things. It’s all good.

Self imposed vacation from anything too thought provoking was my idea. I don’t even feel like pulling out the fruit and sea shells for a quick spin in watercolor. Lazy daisy. Taking things slow. Browsing in some stores. Knitting a little here and there. Looking at my books. No screaming neighbors kids running around next door. Nice and quiet. Just how I like things.

What’s my thought for Thursday? Nothing. Not a thing. No thoughts. Empty brain. Peace. Yup.

Rocks on the Beach

Beach vacations are pretty much similar where ever you travel, some more luxurious than others. We’ve been to quite a few different places where the beach is the main idea and each destination is unique.

Cancun, Acapulco, Nassau Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Greece, Long Island, Las Vegas, oops Las Vegas has pools, all have some aspects that are similar and different. Some have sandy beaches and others have rocks.

The Mr. was born in a Greek island with rocky beaches so that’s what he looks for in a beach. In fact, most Greeks are lured by calm waters and a rocky beach, something that resembles home to them. But I’m a New York girl so what do I know other than sand and waves like Jones Beach and Pt. Lookout? Rarely did we travel to the Long Island Sound with it’s calm waters. It’s fine with me, I’m drawn to the water, rocks or not.

One fascination Greek island people have is watching the ferry arrive with it’s passengers, trucks loaded with produce, cars and stuff. The ferry is so huge and things keep coming off. Then it gets loaded back up with the same stuff going the other way.

In Greenport there are ferries that shuttle all the same kind of stuff and people to Shelter Island, all day and night, back and forth. So of course, we’re fascinated by all the action. They loaded a huge tractor trailer onto this little ferry, plus people in cars, people with bicycles, and just people on foot! I was in awe, just like we are when we’re in Greece! I know, whacko.

When we were finished gawking at the ferry coming and going we were ready to head back to the beach. The sun was high in the sky and glistening off the clear blue water. Not many people were on the beach so it was all for us to enjoy. Like I said, Heaven is an empty beach!

Except for the seagulls. No matter where you go seagulls will take your food, throw it around the beach and eat it.

Our last full day I took out the watercolors at the urging of The Mr. He said, You brought your set out here, now get to work! Oh gee, thanks. I was so happy to do nothing on this trip, absolutely no brain waves nothing. But OK, it was time, and the rocks looked so interesting.

I began sketching out a few nearby rocks with some dried seaweed clinging to them. So The Mr. says, You’re going to paint rocks? What’s wrong with the water and the sky? I don’t know why but rocks are neat and painting the scenery was sort of intimidating with watercolors. And anyway, I have pictures for later.

Without penciling in the subject I just went with the paint. The brushes I keep with the set have a great point so I can sketch with color and blend in the paint with the side of the brush. I added color and tried my best to keep the whites white. The good thing about this little travel set is the limited palette. That seems to keep me in line or I’d add every color I can get my brush into. Bad, good, I don’t know, but that’s what my brain tells me to do.

I thought I would try to paint every day on the trip, but thinking about doing it was stressful. I needed to wind down my brain and think of nothing and of doing nothing. Once I started painting I guess by that time I was really ready for it.

OK, when’s the next trip?

Heaven is an Empty Beach on Long Island

We’re back from our quick trip to the east end of Long Island, New York in the town of Southold near Greenport. These few days were a great break from our normal routine and I must say it was much needed. Do you ever realize how much you need a vacation until you actually go? I knew it was the right idea as soon as I made the reservation for three nights out there.

To me travel is stress. Being able to just get in the car and drive to a destination was the least amount of stress involved, unless there is traffic. But really, if you’re on vacation with no timetable, no one expecting you, no reason to be anywhere at any time, who cares if there’s some traffic? Yes, we had a little bit of traffic. The usual suspects were involved, meaning people who need to see all the aspects of a three car accident. OK, there were police cars and tow trucks, one really beat-up-from-all-sides car and two other beat up cars on the Long Island Expressway heading east. Rubberneckers abounded. After we passed it we had smooth sailing.

First stop on the way was in Mattituck at Cooper’s Farm. This is the best farm stand out east with the most vegetables you can pick on your own, or just buy what they’ve already picked. We go all U-pick. The most beautiful and large beefy tomatoes, long crunchy cucumbers, glossy eggplants and peppers, sweet as anything watermelon. Delicious.

Actually, our real first stop was at Briermere Farm for the best buttery apple tart there is in New York. We can’t visit the north fork without a stop here. Neither can anyone else. Every time we stop in there’s a line out the door. Each time the door opened, out wafted the smell of butter crust and sweet fruits. Breathe deep! I was so excited I forgot to take pictures.

We arrived at our little hotel/motel around four o’clock in the afternoon. The sun was behind some hazy clouds, but the air was still hot and humid. Just how I like it. We settled in, put our things away, donned our bathing suits and headed across the street to the almost empty beach, where we sat until well after 7 P.M. The waters of the Long Island Sound were calm as oil, the Mr.’s phrase. The summer air had almost no breeze, but the clouds above kept changing patterns as the sun went down over Connecticut.

Heaven is a warm summer day and an empty beach.

Taking a Hop, Skip and a Jump

While I tried to get the Mr. to take a trip to somewhere this summer, the only idea he liked was to stay local. Forget Greece, Las Vegas, Bahamas, or Florida. A short road trip it is, with no housework in sight!

We’ll be visiting the east end of Long Island, on the North fork, in farm and winery country. While I don’t know if we’ll be going to any wine tastings, I am hoping the weather is hot and humid, perfect for sitting on the beach. Weather is not something you can predict with any measure of accuracy and any outside activity depends on the weather. Being a person who likes the heat, the weather better cooperate. Earlier it was cloudy, rainy, but hot and humid. Now the sun is showing up. It better!

Last week the humidity lifted and we were left with temperatures in the low 80’s and high 70’s. That’s cold to me! That’s get out the woolies weather! I never complain when the temps go up into the high 90’s! Nope, not me! I am in hog heaven when it’s hot, hot, hot! I know what New York winters are like and I never complain about a sweltering New York summer. Yup.

So I will probably..scratch that, definitely be AWOL from the blog. I don’t have a Blackberry, or a netbook, or an iPad. You’ll all have to carry on without me. Rest assured that pics of my days will be forthcoming. I plan to bring along my travel watercolor set and my ink pen with a drawing pad. Morning pages will be coming along too, which I will have to sneak because the Mr. always wants to know what I’m writing about. Will I get to do some art while I’m sitting in a beach chair all day long? We shall see, won’t we.

To Go or Not To Go, That’s The Question

Did you ever really want to do something or go somewhere, but when you think about it you really don’t want to do that thing after all?

I’m in such a dilemma. The Mr. needs a vacation. When I suggested going somewhere close by a few weeks ago he said no. He doesn’t want to leave his business. But he really needs to get away and change his outlook, environment, you know, all the things that a vacation, or even a day off, can do for a person. I could get away from the house stuff and maybe get some painting in. For me it could be a short car ride away or a couple hours flying time.

Mind you, I’m not that innately adventurous, but I push myself. Sometimes I dream of flying away if I see an airplane overhead. I imagine going to a different place and having some cool experience where ever. Then I think of how I need to plan and shop and do, and then I’m done with it.

The Mr. was born on Patmos, an island in the Dodecanese in Greece and it’s beautiful there. He emigrated here with his family when he was a kid. He would love to go, I could too. On some summer days he’ll talk about how it was on the island, what he could be doing if he was there, but he’s here and he has a business to run. I get that.

Things in the world are such that it would be pricey to go so last minute. Business is at it’s busy time right now. The euro and the dollar are an issue. August is the vacation season in Europe. Travel to Patmos is a pain because there isn’t an airport there. You need to fly out of Athens to another island and take a dolphin, or get on a ferry in Pireas for six hours. It’s alot of traveling for fifteen days of vacation. Not to mention that Greece is not stable right now, every day another entity is on strike, there have been riots in Athens, and everything has become more expensive.

Our indecision only makes things more difficult. All the whats, whens, whys, wheres and hows are thrown around during our discussions. First we think we’d like to go and then we think of the reasons not to go. Then we think it’d be good to go. Next discussion we say forget it. My family all say just go and don’t think too much. We talk about it later and say Yeah let’s do it. The next day we’re not into it anymore. Neither of us can decide. Both of us are wishy washy.

Planning is not my forte. This vacation stuff is such hard work I could just stay home.