September 12, 2021
With the pandemic, and retirement, and isolation and stuff, we took up walking.
Jake and I started walking the neighborhood. From a mile or so around Brier, to a couple of miles around the neighborhood to the west, increasing the distance every few weeks. We now walk about eighteen miles a week, as far as Terrace Creek Park to the west and back to Brier. We got into better shape to hike and all that, but walking gave me a shifting, reflective view of the local streets. And the people around me.
We had to interact with folks. We started with face masks, and then only put them on when we passed others on the sidewalk, then kept them in our pockets when we got vaccinated. We waved at the neighbors. We petted everyone’s dog, admired the landscaping and counted squirrel sightings.
For some reason I’ve been thinking about walking around Richmond Highlands, having flashbacks of playing in woods and puddles and dirt roads that don’t exist anymore. When I was a little kid distances looked like this, driveway to driveway and fences and gates and barking dogs. I didn’t pay much attention to the ‘hood when I was commuting, but I sure am now. My focus shrank in distance and grew in detail; the orange tabby that lives in the rambler down the hill is sick. The couple that live next to the park are moving. Jake meticulously trims back blackberry shoots that encroach on the paths. We don’t cross 236th, and we haven’t been to Seattle proper in a couple of months.
I used that viewpoint in several recent paintings. I did a scene of the trail in Terrace Creek Park, and hopped into Lyon Creek and took a view of a culvert. With the intent to get into a couple of shows, I concentrated on very small canvases; I painted a couple of bugs in the garden and the painting above, an intersection on our walk route. It’s only 4 by 6 inches. It’s a pause spot on our longer walks–the light at 223rd Street is the one place where it’s safe to cross busy, four-lane 44th Avenue. When you become fond of a traffic light…
Maybe it’s time to do something a little bigger. And further away.
Good news on exhibit stuff: this painting and another tiny landscape will be in Kirkland’s Parklane Gallery Winter Show of Miniatures, Nov. 4th through Jan. 2nd. After getting a painting in the Edmonds Arts Festival, I’m getting a little more exposure. A sale would be nice!
Newbluemoon Arts 