Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Fine Art Show

This month I am trying a new venue for exhibiting and selling my art. Sponsored by the Rehoboth Art League in Delaware it is called The 41st Annual Outdoor Fine Art Show.  It is an honor to be selected by the jury for this event which runs for two weekends on August 9-10 and August 16-17. I will have my new paintings and collages on display for sale in my booth. Included here is a picture of my newest collage of vintage Delaware Coast images. Fenwick Island, Dewey and Rehoboth Beaches are the main feature of this piece with some of Lewes and Cape May making an appearance, too. Hope you can stop by if you are at the beach. I'll be in booth #36.

VINTAGE OCEAN CITY FISHING

"Vintage Ocean City Fishing" 2014 (24" x 36")  mixed media

The fishing in Ocean City, Maryland can be, at times, superb. There are tournaments in the White Marlin Capital of the World featuring deep sea fishing for the aforementioned Marlin and a variety of big game fish including tuna and sharks. But for most of us we like to putt-putt in a little motor boat to catch some pan-size fish like perch or some blue crabs for a proudly-caught, home-made meal. As you enter OC from Route 50, the bridge is usually lined with fishermen and women of all sizes and shapes. They always appear to be intently focused on their task at hand. Thinking of this reminds to to say that if you don't want to own or rent a boat you can usually find a spot on one of the many piers located on the island. There are many on the bay side and of course the grand pier on the Atlantic side.
 In my extensive collection of vintage Del-Mar-Va ephemera I noticed that the fishing category deserved a collage of its own. There are tide tables and fishing tips as well as photos of the Bunting fishing boats. I've also included images of some of my fishing lure paintings and of course our Maryland steamed crabs. Posters of the collage are now for sale in my Etsy shop for those who would like to purchase one on line.

CAPE MAY - LEWES FERRY

"Cape May - Lewes Ferry" oil on canvas (18" x 36") 2013

Every July when we visit Lewes, Delaware I always reserve the time to wander around the docks of the Cape May - Lewes Ferry. I bask in the energy and the upbeat atmosphere generated by people on vacation slowing their pace to float across the 17-mile-stretch between Lewes, DE and Cape May, NJ. The system has five vessels that cross the Delaware Bay during the  daily 16 hour schedule.
The ferries began their service in 1964 with a fleet of boats that had been previously crossing the Chesapeake Bay between Cape Charles and Virginia Beach, VA.  At that time they were still steam powered but a decade later they were replaced with the current collection of vessels which includes names such as  M.V. Twin Capes and M.V. Cape Henlopen. The terminal in Lewes is staffed by cheerful men and women who not only load the passengers and their cars but they sell tickets, tend bar and operate a gift shop.

I love the clattering sounds of the ferry being loaded.

 The terminal itself can be a destination with a gorgeous view of the bay from the outdoor lounge and piers. If you go you will be reminded of a time  when vacations were true getaways from the grinding pace of every day life. Even though the ferries run on a schedule no one makes you feel in a hurry. After all, if you miss one ferry another one will arrive soon.

Ferries arrive and depart on a daily 16 hour schedule.

VACATION BEACH LADIES

"Vacation Beach Ladies" oil on board (12" x 24") 2011

So the summer is officially over after this weekend. But we know there is still plenty of time to enjoy the beach if good weather prevails. When asked what their favorite form of relaxation might be, a large number of people reveal that they fantasize lying on the beach. I like to sit on the beach under an umbrella while reading. And truth be  told I like to eavesdrop on my neighbors from time to time. It has something to do with the way the sea breeze carries sound across the sand. The ground feels so warm and dense as you rest your head on it. The merging din of measured waves, dampened voices and mashed footsteps  are funneled into your ears as if  filtered through a muffler.  The women here in my painting " Vacation Beach Ladies" might be interesting to spy on.  Listening in on strangers while on vacation is a form of entertainment for some of us. While working on this painting I could not resist the addition of a bathing cap on one of the women. I wonder if she doesn't want to hear all the details. But they appear to be  old friends on a summer fling in the days of chaperones and "safe retreat" hotels for women.

STEPHEN DECATUR Hotel - Ocean City, MD

The old Stephen Decatur Hotel at 12th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland offered a terrific view for people-watching. The elegant hotel’s majestic front porch, shaded by enormous awnings, had comfy wooden rocking chairs for its guests. My father, who avoided sea water due to a painful ear condition, spent weekend afternoons rocking and watching all the tourists pass by. At dinner time he relished every minute of telling us the sights he saw while we, oblivious to the parade passing by, were swimming in the Atlantic Ocean .
In later years the old hotel served as a marker for some close family friends and me as they were lucky enough to own a charming cottage just down the street. Since the Stephen Decatur was higher than the neighboring hotels we could keep it in our view from the water on occasional days of strong riptides when we might easily be swept sideways down the beach. In recent years some have told me how sad they felt when this old Grande Dame of the boardwalk was torn down. But, no matter what, I can still hear her gigantic awnings flapping in the ocean breeze.

Roadside Lures

"Lunch, Dinners, Cabins" oil on canvas (30" x 20") 2004

More often than not, the earliest roadside stops were family owned. I imagine these three women in my painting might have been sisters or sisters-in-law. In my mind they spent most of their days and nights together maintaining their overnight cabins and dining room for weary travelers. The lady in the middle of this trio probably was in charge of making the dinners and lunches. She certainly takes pride in her uniform with the matching cap - tilted at a jaunty angle. I like to think that the long, thin redhead was a manager type, eyeing guests and asking them to sign the register. She might be the bossy one. The blond on the end helped with the cleaning and was good-natured about keeping the business humming along. She had a habit of photographing their guests from time to time. She kept these photos with descriptions in a private album hidden in her room.

Gaslight Lounge - Route 40 West

Howard Johnson’s Motels usually included the famous HoJos Restaurant on their premises. However this one, located at 5701 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville, MD, additionally offered a bar called The Gaslight Lounge. Most nights during the early 70’s it featured live music and dancing. The house band named The Cherry Smash, whose cute, blonde drummer often made the girls swoon, covered rock and soul music from the late 60’s and early 70’s. The patrons consisted of a funny and entertaining mix. On one hand there were the out-of-town businessmen in suits who might relax with a whiskey sour or Tom Collins after a day of meetings or sales calls. Of course there were a number of adult singles looking for a pick-up. And then there were the underage drinkers who carried false ID and breezed past the bouncer with great ease. We felt so grown up at the Gaslight Lounge as we sipped our Southern Comfort cocktails and dared each other to dance with the “older” men.