BIG NEWS Paradise Preserved – Almost

What the heck do I mean by BIG NEWS Paradise Preserved Almost? I am so excited and will share with you.

But first, in case you’re new, here’s more information. This is a place where, each week, I share my paintings, process, art history, and inspiration. Whether this is your first or millionth visit here, hiya, hello and a warm welcome! I choose a theme to guide my paintings each year.

This year’s theme is Vessels, Views and Vistas. If you need more color in your world, consider subscribing to this weekly blog. When you do, you will also receive a monthly newsletter called “Art In Real Life.” In it, I share news about artwork and art walks. Some I have seen IRL (in real life). Others are from around the world, maybe even near you!? If so, maybe you’ll go see and share what it’s like to see art in real life. Let’s get to this week’s view. OK?

Favorite Get Away Place News

In last week’s post, I wrote about our nearby, favorite get away spot aka Topsail Island. We love to stay near the south end of the island. Why? Because you can walk onto the beach, turn right and within a few hundred foot steps, there are no houses, no sign of development. The view is vast, filled with sky, clouds, sea grass and sand dunes. Ahhhhh! Paradise.

Paradise was nearly ruined last year when a private buyer proposed buying the acreage and, over time, developing it. Thanks to a coalition of locals from the island, a non-profit called “Conserve the Point” was formed. Last fall, their efforts helped snuff out the development that the private buyer had suggested. But what would happen to the Point?

Hello Coastal Land Trust

This week, Coastal Land Trust a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS under Section 501(c)(3), announced that it had negotiated and signed a contract with the owners to purchase the property! Woooohooo – right? Sure…except they have to raise $8 million dollars by March 25, 2025 to complete the purchase. Yipes!

That’s more than we have in our piggy bank. You? But every little bit will help to meet that goal. So, this week, I’m sharing two sa-weet color sketches of Topsail Beach. They are 6 inches by 12 inches and painted in oils on panels. Each is for sale for $60, unframed. If someone chooses to buy both of these gems, I am selling them together for $100. All proceeds from the sale of these two paintings will go directly to the Coastal Land Trust’s goal of buying the land. Please contact me here if you’re interested. Here they are up close!

Are You Wondering

You may be wondering why there’s red peaking through the brush strokes of these two paintings? Hmmm? There’s red because I painted a red (yes – cadmium red!!!) ground on each of these panels before I started to paint these seascapes. Why?

Well, if you’re a traditional figure painter here, you know that the ground of your canvas is usually a neutral gray. That’s a luscious way to illuminate the rich skin tones (of any ethnicity) for a portrait or figure painting. But in landscape paintings, the sea and sky are blue-ish, green-ish and grey-ish. I love having the red ground as a starting point for the cooler colors of a seascape painting.

Are You As Excited As I Am

So gentle reader, are you as excited as I am about this wonderful news? If you are and you would rather head straight to the Coastal Land Trust website and make a donation directly, please do! Here’s where you can donate and even consider becoming a sustainer, too.

If you feel inclined, please spread the word about this effort! So many people and the planet will benefit from this campaign. Don’t you think? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you so much for reading here today