This is the first in a series of cutesy-beach art I am creating to sell to tourists this summer off Narragansett Beach.

This illustration depicts some spoofs on our visitors as well as favorite local beach foods. Here’s a link to a description of some quirky RI favorites:  10 Must Try Foods When Visiting RI

Ok. Now let me explain another part of this beach art idea… it’s a little bit embarrassing, but I’m sure somebody will get a kick out of it.  Do you know those nights when you wake up at 3am and there is absolutely no way your mind is letting you go back to sleep?  Luckily I don’t have too many, I sleep like a log, but I did recently had “One of those nights”.  For many, every piece of stress in your life might surface: to-do lists, exams, presentations; you know all the stuff that seriously needs worrying. Well, for some reason, my mind didn’t go there. My little off-beat head started thinking about a Haiku poem I wrote in the third grade.  Hmm… I really liked Haiku in the third grade… and then poof…13 Haiku poems came out of my head and onto little scraps of paper I keep on my night stand. Granted they are all about the beach because that would be my current focus, but now I’m thinking to possibly use them in my beach art.

Here is a fast recap on Haiku for those of you like me, who may not have worked on one since the third grade:  How to write a Haiku Poem The important principle is that it is a poem of three lines: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.  They aren’t supposed to rhyme, but they are supposed to conjure beauty and nature.

So some of these poems are better than others.  The one below doesn’t really conjure up beauty but a seagull technically is a part of nature ;)   FULL DISCLOSURE: DON’T JUDGE ME OR I’LL NEVER SHARE MY FAILURES WITH YOU AGAIN!!! Ok. with that said, here’s my seagull Haiku.

So clever they Are

Watching seagulls is so fun

One just took my lunch

 I have an illustration I’ve done of a seagull inside someone’s beach bag grabbing a cheese doodle.  It is one of my favorite pass times -watching unsuspecting beachgoers wading in the water while they thought nothing of sealing up their beach bags.  Rookies.  The seagulls wait maybe 40 seconds before they fully abscond with their 12 inch sub, 3 bags of chips and some chocolate chip cookies for good measure.  I love it.  Good stuff. Serious entertainment.

So the image above isn’t the one that matches this poem.  I am wising up and starting on my least favorite illustrations as opposed to my favorites.  The last ones always come out the best and it has only taken me a decade to discipline myself not to jump right in on my favorites! This illustration didn’t really match up with any of my poems, but it kind of cracked me up, so I decided to paint it anyway.  Can’t hurt right? May not use it but it lets me iron out kinks…

In the coming weeks I will post a bunch of little drawings/paintings and haiku poems.  My idea is to write the poems onto the illustrations, but I am holding off until the end to decide how stupid or valid this idea is… I mean maybe channeling my inner 3rd grader seemed like a way better idea at 3am then it might a month or two from now.  If there are some word geeks out there who want to send me improvements…I am all for it…if not, I will plug away and let the ideas work themselves out. If I make 12-15 paintings there should be at least 6 worth printing.  I learned that from pottery.  Want 4 perfect plates?  Make 7. Then you can choose the best.  There’s some merit to this idea…

I apologize for sounding completely insecure today.  I’m feeling insecure. I don’t like to admit I’m not perfect, however I find it so important not to perpetuate the illusion of perfection. It’s not real.  Good ideas seldom come out on the first run. Becoming good at something only comes from learning from past failures. The reason I still blog is because I don’t think there is enough artists out there that show this perspective and it’s probably one of the most endearing parts of sharing one’s creativity.  It’s not perfect!  Still, it doesn’t feel that great showing one’s underbelly.  It makes you cringe inside and writhe in discomfort.  That’s why I do it.  If you disclose everything and still you are alive – you are free.  And strong.  It put’s hair on your chest ;) And don’t we all want that?   … back to work!