Brushstrokes of Light:

Exploring the Journey of Fine Art Oil Painting with Julie Brayton

In my last post, I started to talk about Earth Day or Week. I thought, shouldn’t every day be Earth Day? Every day is Earth Day with me! What about you?

You might remember me mentioning that I caught eels for a living. That’s right, I set pots baited with Horseshoe crabs to catch eels weighing up to 3 lbs. I fished Narrow River and Salt Pond in the South County area of RI. In those days, there weren’t as many people around, and I was out there when most were at work. I enjoyed observing a variety of wildlife, particularly on the Narrow River. At that time, before the Rt 1A bridge was rebuilt over Narrow River, there was a red house right on the river. The owner, I heard, was an old man who owned cows. The river being narrow has a narrow channel deep enough for motor boats. In the still of the morning, I would be buzzing along the channel after having hauled my pots and rebaited them for the next day. The old man’s cows would wade out into the shoal and eelgrass. As soon as they heard me (sound travels over water faster), they all looked up at once and in unison watched me go by. Can you picture that in your mind’s eye? It is such a great memory!

There were so many amazing wildlife experiences I had every day, but one, in particular, involved a Mallard duck couple. As you travel up into the Narrow River away from the ocean, the water becomes more brackish. Halfway there, a Mallard duck couple would meet me at one of my pot locations. I would feed them some of my bait, and they would then go on their merry way.

Below are more photos of Narrow River, one with the infamous Red Shack that no longer exists. I took that photo from Dreamstime so I didn’t have to dig through my photos. The old man’s red house was across from that. 

I’ll bet you have similar stories you’ve experienced. I think that’s what we have in common. In addition, the treasure of handmade things is as valuable to you as it is to me. Am I wrong? I would love to hear your stories if you would like to share. Respond to this email.

During that time, I was not only painting, but I was also into a variety of creative ventures. The one big thing for me however, that brought two important worlds together, was Plein Air (Open Air) painting. This happened later, which placed me in more natural settings to capture the moment in paint.

In my next article, I will talk about plein-air painting and how it drew together the love of nature and the love of creating through painting. I will also discuss how you can do the same through collecting art.

We share the connection between Art and Earth. Our Earth is precious, and what better way to honor it than through art? Collecting art is an art in itself. Opening our minds to creative ways to express who we are through our art collection can bring so much joy, not only for the collector but also for those you share it with.

Next article,

How Plein Air painting changed my world.

Stay tuned for more on this!

Talk Soon!

A few photos of me back in the day, eeling. Enjoy!

As always, respond to this email with any comments or thoughts you would like to add.

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NOTE: The other articles have their own blog post and list. Feel free to join them all or choose the one you’re most interested in. This one is for Fine Art News Only

Take Care!

My goal or mission is to bring reminders and connection to the importance each individual has through the connection to nature. How we all can honor the essence of who we have always been meant to be. Creativity, whether through collecting art or creating it, is a healing force that allows us to embrace, tell and own our stories in a transformative and ultimately joyful way.