Wednesday 20 March 2013

"I must go down to the seas again..."

I have always loved the beach, enjoying the slight saltiness of the breeze, walking on the sand and the rhythmic "chant" of the waves upon the shore. 




So I took advantage of an afternoon low tide to stroll along Spanish banks. Fair weather had brought out many others and a brisk breeze had attracted a few kite fliers. 






As I walked I thought of my Dad, who died this month in 2006, and how he would have loved this walk and was reminded of a favorite poem of his:




Sea Fever
by John Masefield (from Salt-Water Ballads, 1902)

 I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to sail her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And the gray mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

So come along with me .............as I go down to the sea.


Many ships were at anchor in the English bay and many a few sailing boats were taking advantage of the wind for a brisk sail.



I found lots of things to interest me and occupy my camera.











  














And of course there were quite a variety of birds interested in what the low tide had uncovered.



 


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I think I mentioned last week that I had started on a new series of paintings with a sea shore theme.

Here is the first in that series, a watercolour, called "Shell Colour 1":


For more information on this and to see more of my original art follow this link: GillianOlsonArt

Thank you for dropping by, Happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next week .................


21 comments:

  1. You found such delightful and interesting things on the beach. The seashell in your watercolor reflects beautifully the flashes of hues one can see on the shore when the day is bright.

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  2. oh, my! your painting looked almost like a photo! wonderfully done!

    i liked the kites and the dogs on the beach. thanks for bringing the sea to me this morning.

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  3. So loved this journey with you today. And I love that poem ... exactly how I feel when I'm on our beaches. Your art is marvelous as always!

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  4. Beautiful sea images, the poem is brilliant and your painting, it is "wow".

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  5. I like the Cockle Shell painting.
    The other shells look like Oysters but are much smother than ours are they Clam Shells?

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  6. oh you know how much i enjoyed this entry, i adore the beach for all it's loveliness. i am so lucky to live close by.

    i need to get my butterfly kite out and take her for a spin.

    beautiful images, i really enjoyed them all. and your painting is so pretty!!

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  7. Oh wow! when I came to the end to see this lovely painting you had done, just love it! I love all the shots at your Spanish Banks walk. Looking forward to my visit to Vancouver sometime next month. Are you near the West End?

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  8. I grew up by the Atlantic Ocean so will always love the aroma of salty air and the sound of a foghorn. I love the Great Lakes too, but they are not quite the same.

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  9. I grew up by the Atlantic Ocean so will always love the aroma of salty air and the sound of a foghorn. I love the Great Lakes too, but they are not quite the same.

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  10. A beautiful series. Of course the wide scenic views are great but you also make me want to go down to my own beach and look for the interesting details there. Thanks!

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  11. What a beautiful poem. And a beautiful post. I LOVE the ocean and Beach as well. Something Zen about it. I always enjoy seeing your paintings. This one is beautiful.

    Hugs~

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  12. I love the painting.. you make such perfect use of colour.

    The shell images are wonderful. I would like to walk there for an afternoon. And there's something so classic and reassuring about kite-flying in March and April.

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  13. That's one of my favourite poems. And such lovely shots of the sea.

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  14. Beautiful shots. I love the seaside too and it always makes me think of my Dad who also loved it.

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  15. Very nice post - I do like the macros of the found objects.

    I love the sea - especially at this time of year - autumn with me.

    This is a short post about the sea - inspired (in some ways) by a poem you will recognise!

    http://payingreadyattention.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/to-sea-again.html

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  16. Great pics from your beach walk. John Masefield also wrote "Cargoes" about Cardiff Bay, here in south Wales.

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  17. came back to say congrats on your POTW at hilary's!

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  18. You did take us down to the seas, with or without the poem. Thanks for a beautiful collection of images too.

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  19. I'm drawn to the water and beach myself, and that's one of my favorite poems. What a beautiful shoreline. Thanks for sharing and congrats on your POTW!

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  20. beautiful images and memories... my husband and I were just speaking the other day about flying kites with our dads... I guess March raises those memories to the surface.

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  21. I love the poem and the photos are wonderful as well!

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