Explore

i love turtles…

My husband and I have been scuba diving quite a bit in the Caribbean and were fortunate to see so much incredible sea life, including the amazing sea turtles. I finally took my passion for turtles and put it on canvas. This 48 x 36” mosaic collage called Explore was made with my signature square design. There are lots of secrets in those squares. I brought this beauty up to Art Center Sarasota’s Member’s Show and won a ribbon. A few days later their curator called and told me it had sold.

It’s a wonderful feeling when someone buys something that you created and I was really happy about the sale, but also a little sad. I really didn’t have that turtle very long. Typically I keep a new painting on my wall for a few weeks to evaluate it, enjoy it, and see if I’d change anything. Besides, it’s something I created, nurtured, loved and it was tough to see it go. But there was a deadline to their show so I didn’t get the opportunity to let the painting linger in my home.

About a month later I received an email from the new owner of the turtle. Here’s what she said about it: “I can honestly say it brings me joy EVERY time I look at it. I’m a turtle rescuer. Every year, I pluck 35-40 Mississippi cooters, soft shell, and snapping turtles out of the roads. Once, I believe I even communicated telepathically with a cooter who thanked me for saving him from certain death on Clark Road. But, back to your art —- I love, love, love the turtle you made. If my house was about to be blown away, I’d grab my beagle, Nosey Rosey, in one hand, and your painting in the other. I will treasure it ‘til the day I die; and my family will inherit it after that! It is so very, very cool and I thank you for making it.”

Well, I had tears in my eyes reading that email. The joy she had for that turtle came right through that phone and into my heart, overwhelming me with happiness, knowing that she and I share the same passion, taking care of things we love. How lucky we both are to have connected!