Michigan Seems Like a Dream to Me Now

This is one of my favorite paintings for three reasons. It's of my favorite people, at my favorite place, for my other favorite person's birthday. Now, to fill in the blanks, my sons Andrew and Wesley at ages 9 and 2, on the shore of Lake Huron, for my husband's birthday. Like all of my work, this piece has a layer of paper underneath the paint, and this time, it's map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where we have a cabin that we visit for two weeks every other year.


Scottie's Bay 11" X 14" mixed media

My husband's great grandfather homesteaded this land, and it's the most idyllic place I can imagine. The cabin is located in a very remote area on Beavertail Point, about an hour south of Sault Saint Marie, Canada, where there is virtually nothing to do but relax. We spend the days reading on the beach,looking for lucky stones swimming, canoeing, and hiking in the woods. At night we walk to Chet's Island across Scottie's Bay to watch the sun go down, and then we build a fire and make S'mores on the beach. Here the air in the forest smells like sugar; here the constellations stand out in perfect relief against the black night sky; here we can forget all our cares and responsibilities; here we are happier than anywhere else in the whole world.

for Inspiration Avenue and Illustration Friday