Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The light of the late afternoon was fading...yet the illuminated paintings grabbed me as I walked by the window and held me there...lost in the seacoast.

While in Boston a few years ago on a business trip...I had to stay over the weekend. Always when you are out of town, away from your family on a weekend...the mood turns towards that feeling of something missing...a nagging in your gut that somethings not right. Alone in the city leaves one with a longing for connections but as you walk down the city streets...people pass by with their own destinations...filling their own needs...oblivious to anyone around them.

The afternoon light was like a beacon directing me to the paintings. They were my escape. I was transported to the seacoast...a world completely foreign to a Midwesterner. I took a mental journey down the beach just off the porch...where I could go for miles in either direction. On the horizon were the bleach white sails billowing in the ocean breeze with a distant laughter of couples running and teasing each other as they ventured out into the foam...a foam creeping farther inland with each wave. As the night grew darker...the lighthouse beacon shone brighter and brighter...one flash of the beacon and my concentration was broken with the piercing sound of a siren headed for Massachusetts General down the street.

The window, dark now, but at least for a few brief moments the seacoast that my appointments and deadlines stole from me, was given back to me by the paintings. Tomorrow I would head home to family and the green rolling hills of Indiana.

17 comments:

septembermom said...

We appreciate how you transport us to the "green rolling hills of Indiana". It's therapeutic how photos and paintings can lift our spirit to beautiful places. Thanks Dan for taking us on your photo journey!

Dan Felstead said...

Septembermom.
I am glad you enjoyed the trip! This was one of those photos where I could really relay how I felt when I took the picture...I enjoyed Boston but missed the family. I have been to Boston a few times but this particular time...I didn't get the chance to go down to the Harbor or out to the coast at all.

Heather said...

Stunning photo - You've got me longing for a weekend in a beach cottage.

*sigh*

But then again, your photos always make me want to get out there and explore the world around me. Thanks for all of the mini vacations that my daydreams take me on after visiting your blog :)

Dan Felstead said...

Thanks Heather...hope you don't get in trouble at work!

Dan

Anonymous said...

You produce such beauty with your camera. Whether it be vivid colors or black and white. There is something indefinable in your work that touches the soul.

Dan Felstead said...

Tricia...
Thank you so much for your comments. I feel that black and white is often more dramatic than color...it just depends on the subject matter.

I appreciate the times when you visit...that is what keeps me going!

Dan

Sara said...

I can see/feel myself in that photo sitting on the rocker looking at the sea.

Kateri Joe and Jonathan said...

I love how the shadows in the display represent the delicate balance between curiosity and loneliness that a solitary, out-of-towner feels when away from home. Dan, I'm in awe that you can build such a narrative with one frame.

:-)

-Kateri

_we_the_pieces_ said...

I really like this... it's like, subtle, yet very striking

Dan Felstead said...

Sara...thanks for the comment...I am sure you can identify with the seacoast up there in Nova Scotia.

I have had lots of exposure to the mountains but very little to the ocean...something I want to do more of...spend some time with the seacoast.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Kateri...
YOu put it well. a combination of curiosity and loneliness...sort of that feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

We the pieces...

Those are the feeling that a black and white image often evoke...thanks.

Dan

HightonRidley said...

Hey Dan, great shot. I've been coming back a few times while working on other stuff. I think my right brain must have wanted more time but my left brain was too busy!

Anyway, I do like this shot - the conversion has worked so well across all the paintings. The tones, lighting and shadows across all the lhs side are really good, giving additional interest.

And, although maybe a little too bright for me, the rhs is a painting of a porch basking in the sun after all and works on that level for me.

Nice one!

Dan Felstead said...

Mark...
Thank you for the HUGE compliment from my mentor! I really appreciate the time spent with the photo...always and anytime feel free to offer your suggestions...I am all ears!

Dan

Anonymous said...

Dan, Dan, Dan, you make me want to jump in my car and drive to a beach with a lighthouse somewhere (checking the wallet, *sighs*). Even in this oppressive humidity today I feel the peace and cool breeze your piece gives off. What a refreshing vibe I'm feeling right now.

As always thanks for stopping by and send me the link to your 'Gate' post! I would love to see it. Also, I left a comment on your cornfield piece, not sure if you receive updates on new comments. Love the vibrant colours.

Dan Felstead said...

Thanks Pura...and I will send you the link...be sure to check in on Saturday...there will be a nice "cool" post!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...
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