Friday, August 27, 2010

Observations from the Road 8.27

Nearing the end of our week on Long Island I seem to have myself a bit messed up. I fell asleep early last night and now I’m awake at 4:30 for the second morning in a row. That is fine though because there is nothing quite like a walk on the beach just before sunrise, it has to be one of my favorite things. Not a sound heard but the surf hitting the beach, the color of the sky magically changing by the minute, than finally the sun bursting from the ocean. I think it is as close to the perfect moment in time as life gets. But right now it’s even too early for that so a bit of randomness is called for.

Wednesday. Galleries, there are so many galleries in the Hamptons, some totally nice and some not so. I know that’s the reason we drove out here but never having been here before I just didn’t realize how many there are. Ash tells me there about eighty galleries in all and I’m hoping I don’t have to see them all. But most seem overpriced in my novice humble opinion. Than that’s another thing that strikes you out here, there is money and lots of it. I think this is where all your brokerage fees, 401k fees, and overlimit fees come to roost. There doesn’t seem to be much of a recession in this part of the country.

I wouldn’t call myself a sculpture fanatic but we did see one way cool show today. It was at the Pamela Williams Gallery in Amagansett and is called ‘Etruscan Days’, an exhibition of new sculpture by artist William King. The works were named by him in a reference to the writings of D.H. Lawrence in Etruscan Travels. "If you want uplift, go to the Greek or the Gothic. If you want mass, go to the Roman. But if you love the odd, spontaneous forms that are never to be standardized, go to the Etruscan.” Some of them are rather stunning. I also saw some absolutely stunning oil on linen paintings by Denise Regan at the same gallery. The PWG was the winner of the day as far as I am concerned.

The clouds finally began to break late in the day letting some sun shine through and than tonight a gorgeous full moon shone over the Atlantic. Hopefully the weather holds for the rest of the week and I can get some sun. I think an early morning walk is called for tomorrow.

Thursday. This is most definitely wine and champagne country. I think as you drive past the exits for Rockaway and Coney Island you pass under an invisible sign emitting subliminal waves saying “all who pass here will drink wine and will enjoy it.” I even saw wine on the beach today. Not a wine cooler, that’s a staple at the Jersey shore, but honest to god wine in a bottle. Seriously that is just wrong at so many levels and I’m starting to feel a little weird drinking beer, something that has never before happened in my life.

For reasons unknown I love taking color photos at the beach. I almost never do any other time, sticking to b&w, but something about the colors you get and the lighting. I just can’t bring myself to change a thing. Must be the salt air, or the Corona, or or or ….

I love watching ‘Morning Joe’ on MSNBC and if I’m awake I almost always have it on in the background. Rob Reiner was on a couple of days ago and he said something that has been stuck in my head ever since. “There is a fine line between stupid and clever.” I can’t remember what he was talking about at the time but I like it.

Time for that walk ....

Sting - Desert Rose