Fisherman's Shack
Hello, Friends! It’s been a little while since I’ve had the free time to work on a new blog to share. I hope that all of you have been doing well. We are celebrating the wonderful rain we had yesterday here in Fort Bragg, and thankful that perhaps our drought will be easing in these next few months.
This month I’m excited to branch out a bit and share with you the work of another artist alongside that of my own. One of the main reasons to have this blog is to inspire each of you in your own creative journey. I’m so delighted when someone reaches out and shares their talent with me.
Gil, and his sweet wife, Judy, have been wonderful friends for years. We have great memories of enjoying their seaside cottage many years ago and then more recently enjoying their home in The Woods. They are very supportive and generous individuals.
Gil has been an avid supporter of this blog. Often he would send me an e-mail commenting on my work after having read the blog. And most of the time, Gil would send an attachment with some of his own work.
ELK COUNTY BEACH — Gil Sissons
It finally dawned on me that Gil’s wonderful work would be a perfect subject to share with the readers of this blog. I love his work and some of our subject matter overlaps, as we live and create in the same area of the world.
One day Gil sent a lovely e-mail in response to a blog. In the second paragraph he said, “Below is something you might consider checking out. It’s on the south entrance to Noyo Harbor. Just as you start down the hill, it’s on the right side. Right now the wild roses are in full bloom and trying their best to claim this cool old shack.” Then he attached this gorgeous photo he had taken:
Noyo Harbor Shack — Gil Sissons
I had myself a little giggle. This was one of my favorite subjects. I’d already painted this scene several times.
I think the first inspiration came from a painting by Erin Dertner many years ago. She had featured the scene in a book she had published about her paintings of these old cottages she had passed for years and how they had finally inspired a painting. This had peaked my curiosity at the time, and we enjoyed hunting for the spot.
“Great minds think alike, beautiful souls come together.”
I am so delighted to be able to feature Gil’s beautiful work this month. Here are some more of his incredible photos he’s shared with me:
Aren’t his images breathtaking?
When I asked Gil if I could share some of his work on the blog, he shared with me some of his history and also some thoughts on how he views his photography work:
“From time to time I share a few of my images with friends. I do this because I feel there is so much negativity in our world…. If getting a email that has a image that draws you to pause… and connect with something NOT negative…. My goal has been achieved. Secondly…. I hope those who are not pausing to appreciate the beauty around them…. Might see something in my work to encourage them to start looking around…. Maybe look at things differently."
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’”
Thanks, Gil, for sharing your talent, positive outlook on life, and wonderful perspective with us. I really appreciate being able to share a little bit of your work with the world. It’s so fun to inspire others. Thanks for sharing your creativity with all of us.
