Inner Brass

Photos from my kayak trip to Inner Brass, a small island off the North side of St. Thomas. My husband and son enjoyed the snorkeling while I went exploring on land. It was a gorgeous day with noone else on the island. We had a lovely picnic and were entertained by the pelicans bobbing for fish in the sea. I took home purple seafans and white coral which had washed up along the shore. I was amazed to see so many fallen coconuts rooting in the sand with trees beginning to grow out of them. Mother nature never ceases to amaze me.

Tuesday ~ Al Fresco Painting

While on my morning run down to the beach I stumbled upon a large conch shell and jogged 3.5 miles back home with it to immediately begin the painting. Here it sits on an easel drying outside in my backyard.

I snapped this photo yesterday evening from my backyard. The catamaran looked so peaceful gliding over the sea, sailing into the sunset.

New Paintings

Top to bottom: detail photo: Pink Frangipani (48" x 38") , Red-hot Hibiscus detail (48" x 38"), Kleet on Dock (18" x 24") acrylic on canvas.

The island rain has kept me busy indoors painting this week. My inspiration came from photos I snapped in my garden over the weekend and another I took at one of my favorite beaches on the island.

Sweet Island Designs by Sugar Apple

Shanda Chiumento is the creator of this fabulous island-inspired eco-apparel line which includes tees, tanks, totes, baby clothing, beach gear and more. She proudly donates a portion of her profits to the World Wildlife Foundation. You can view the entire collection and shop online at www.sugarappledesign.com

Caribbean Living Magazine

http://www.caribbeanlivingmagazine.com/

I just subscribed to this lovely magazine featuring the hottest island destinations. The photos, food, features and travel stories are amazing! You can choose from a digital version subscription or a mailed subscription. I opted for the mailed subscription even though I am eco-concious. I need this gorgeous magazine as permanent decor for my island home! It is a magazine that you will go back to time and time again for ideas, tips and visual beauty. They also have a group page on FACEBOOK with great posts and discussions.

Flowers From My Garden

Top to bottom: pink flowers, hibsicus, orchids, pink frangipani

Snapped some photos this evening. These are some beautiful blooms from my tropical garden. I will be working on a new series of paintings and block-prints from my personal photo collection. Gardening to me brings me so much joy as much as creating a work of art. I feel one with nature when I am in my garden weeding or planting and adding color to my world.

Coral Dreaming

I love the murano glass coral necklace! The Coral nail polish from Essie is a gorgeous color for your summer toes. Lunabazaar.com carries these fabulous rice paper coral votive holders which would adorn any evening gathering by the sea. The coral lamp is by Pier1 Imports, the shadow box coral art is found at homeatsea.com and I fell in love with this vintage print from enjoyart.com.

When I was a little girl and traveled to Italy during the summer months with my family I became fascinated by the beautiful corallo jewelry worn by the young and old. I remember peeking into windows of little jewelry shops filled with rows and rows of pink to peach to fiery red beads strung onto silk. In Southern Italy where my family is from coral was always given to new parents. A coral pendant would often adorn a bassinet or small gold and coral beaded bracelet would be worn by the infant. The superstition is that coral would protect a baby from harm. In ancient Roman times it was believed that coral had the power to calm the seas and quiet the waves. It was also a sign of fidelity and fertility.

There is a city called Torre Del Greco which lies between Mt. Vesuvius and the Mediterranean Sea overlooking the Bay of Naples. It is known as the city of coral. Lava fields prevented the natives from working the land however the torre waters were filled with coral forests and reefs. The natives began occupations in ship building and sailing, and conch shell diving as well as coral diving. Artisans began carving cameos and pendants from the shells, and lava and coral. Today there are stringent laws controlling how and what types of coral can be utilized in jewelry making without causing extinction and further harm to the ecosystem.