Coastal Trees
Hawaii
July 2005
D&J

Hawaiian Sunset, July 2005, D&J

Desert Bricks
La Paz (Mexico) coast
January 2005
D&J

Q - What you can do with sticks and stones and army men?
A - Build a fort.

By Aidan. Mountain Home Ranch 2006.

Tissue after water painting pieces of beach glass and stones. SF. January 2005.

What we saw on the beach near La Paz, Mexico, January 2005, D&J.

Three sunbathers at water's edge



Hawaii, July 2005 D&J

Coral from Mexico
Orange and Pink shells from Sanibel
Brown glass from San Francisco
Sandstone from Marin
Round stone from Hawaii

Painted Stories.
One aspect of beach walking is being in the experience itself. The sound of the waves, the feel of the sun and the wind. Another aspect is the ideas that come to you there, as you gaze over an ocean that stretches all the way to China, Japan, Vietnam, to mention three particular places where I have friends who are in my mind tonight.

Another aspect of the beach is how it can inspire each of us to feel like we can produce our own art. My older kids and my wife and I used to visit a virtually secret little beach in Marin called Pirate's Cove. Its name alone is enough to keep young children alert and observant. But even as an adult, I always felt a bit of an excited chill, as if I dug around enough there, I might just find a gold medallion. Who knows?

At such places, at such times, many of us gather little pieces of driftwood or shells as well as seaglass and stones, and carry them home with us. Afterwards, at least in my families, we then often get out some water colors and paint the things we've gathered.

These five stones and one piece of glass in this photo came back home one day last year with us from Ocean Beach. We were all tired and sun/wind soaked that Sunday night when we applied some paint to our finds.

p.s. Can you identify which one is seaglass in this shot. The first one to do so can ask me to write any kind of story you'd like to here.

The Rarest Finds: red, yellow, and orange seaglass. But sometimes, I get lucky...

Yellow bird. Near our hotel on the coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. July 2005. D&J.

Where the lava hits the Pacific.
Big Island
Hawaii
D&J
July 2005

J holding a broken piece of a large conch shell
on one of our beach walks south of La Paz, Mexico. Click on the image to expand it and admire her
pretty orange nail polish. Orange is her favorite color.

December 2004.

Beach Stones
Big Island, Hawaii
July 2005

This is what the jagged black lava outcroppings turn into once the ocean has had its way with it. Just like seaglass, the stones end up rounded and smoky.

Bunker in the Sand
Ocean Beach
2005

Silver Lava
Big Island
Hawaii
July 2005
D&J

Lava Moonscape
Big Island
Hawaii
July 2005
D&J

This feather is from a roseate spoonbill in Ding Darling Sanctuary, Sanibel Island.

Abalone Shells. The story is my girlfriend and I went up the coast to Occidental for her birthday. We drove to the coast, where I found these shells. February 2005.

Big Shell. I don't remember where I found it.