Shabby Chic Reflections

Here’s to Shabby Chic Reflections! What in the world do I mean by that? Oh my I can’t wait to share with you. But before I do, here’s a link for new readers to get a description of the purpose of this post and blog. Let’s get to shabby chic reflections, shall we?

Beach break

For the first time in three years, (can you say pandemic?) we meandered out of town to the beach. Specifically, we went to a shabby chic motel located right on the beach at Topsail Beach North Carolina. This is certainly not a fancy place to stay. But, it’s clean, doggie friendly and includes a kitchen, too. Here’s a pic of our room and view with a nicely settled in BDE (best dog ever).

But the most fantastic part about this place is it’s proximity to the ocean; every single room has a beautiful view. And, because this sweet spot is near the end of the island, there’s an amazing walk along the beach. Why is it amazing? Let me share.

Stormy Views

When we arrived on Thursday night, the skies looked turbulent. But that was a mere glimpse of the stormy skies we would see the next morning. Check out some of the views we had on walks both days.

You might be wondering where all the people are. And, you would be right to do so. After all, it’s the middle of July and lots and lots of people head to the beach. But luckily they stayed in as thunderstorms loomed.

Here’s another dark and stormy view with absolutely no people in sight! It was fantastic!

The southern tip of the island is undeveloped and, if I have my map information correct, an important birding area. So, if you ever decide to visit Topsail Beach and the Sea Vista, the Lea-Hutaff Island is at the very end of the island. This is the actual gem of this place. Once you reach the end of the island, there are no houses in sight. And, I confess, for a moment, this place feels like it’s my own. But, in fact, owning any of this island is a whimsical idea at best. Why? This entire place is up for grabs by hurricanes and Mother Nature.

Check out this map of Topsail Beach to see how thin a sliver of land it really is!

Playing with Paint

I would be remiss if I didn’t share at least one of my paintings from this trip! Here’s the view that inspired it.

I set up my easel and paints on the covered patio at the Sea Vista. Then I did a quick thumbnail sketch. And, decided to paint this painting with palette knives only. Whoa! This was fun! Here’s this 6×12 inch palette knife painting entitled “Shabby Chic Reflections.” And, yes it’s for sale. SOLD!

In the future, I expect to incorporate what I have learned from painting with palette knives. I wish I could articulate what I learned here better than saying “It was fun!” But there you go. As a person who had an aversion to using a palette knife at all, I am glad to include it in my painting toolkit now.

What About You

Hey there, gentle reader! Have you had any beach or shabby chic reflections? If so, please do share in the comments below. Thank you for reading here today.