monochromatic painting of book table by emily weil

daily painting | book table

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Looking for a dry and quiet spot for a private art lesson with Mathilde, my lovely young student who hails from France, we landed in the funky but functional meeting room, fondly referred to in my marina as the Yacht Club, where we trade books with neighbors. Mathilde wanted practice drawing and painting indoor scenes so we painted this book table using little cakes of ArtGraf water-soluble graphite which are great fun. We paint side-by-side, as is her preference, so she can observe my choices and techniques. I love these little cakes as when the painting is dry, depending on which color I choose, the results are textured and interesting.

In November, a week apart, we spread both my brother Jim’s ashes (in our home town of Mill Valley) and my sister Diana’s ashes (on her favorite beach in Crescent City). This means that now I have all three of my sibs’ ashes (including Kay’s) in little glass jars on a kind of altar where I light candles and put fairy lights. I’m feeling quite stunned by this little collection, and am wobbling around trying to get my bearings and embrace this reality. Phoo. I’m going to give myself permission today to cry as often as I need to.

7″ x 10″ ink, water-soluble graphite on paper = $90

 

 

 

watercolor of fourth of july rose by emily weil

daily painting | fourth of july rose

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Once a year the nearby cottonwood trees send their fluffy seeds into the air. It’s beautiful. Like May snowflakes drifting past my window. Or little magical fairies dancing in the breezes. The white wisps build up in corners and pockets, looking like mini snowdrifts. There’s something deeply comforting about nature’s patterns and seasons; they go on, ignoring human worries and messes. And politicians. Today I delighted in watching the little puffy flyaways float past my window.

Speaking of fluffballs, I am enjoying little cutie house finches at my feeder. Lately mom has been there feeding the kids, newly fledged. I worry about the little one who seems to have a broken leg; it just dangles. It perches OK but there’s no way it can grab the wires on the sides of the feeder to poke around for seeds. But who knows? Maybe it will live a long life. For a songbird.

And lastly these “Fourth of July Roses” are attention grabbers; my generous and hardworking neighbor Lisa planted them along the small road that goes into our marina parking lot. They do look like fireworks! So lovely. Lisa and Maggie and Jake and Steve and Kelly and a whole raft of houseboat dwellers have been sprucing up our docks and walkways. Completely charming.

These are my moments of gratitude today. Things my eyeballs enjoy. And my heart.

7″ x 7″ ink, watercolor, pastel, acrylic on paper = $65

 

 

 

watercolor and ink painting of flowers by emily weil

daily painting | workshop bouquet

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Last Saturday I taught a watercolor workshop and did several demos, referring to a lovely bouquet of posies I pinched from a few Alameda office building landscapes. It’s a delight to teach a painting class to students who are so open and willing and hard-working. Though I felt sadness from missing grandkids on Easter, coming home to my warm floating home community after class filled up my achey heart — especially when, as I was literally roaming online searching for local bakeries to find a gluten-free treat, a neighbor dropped by to bring me some delicious macaroon-like gluten-free cookies that she knew I loved. Brought tears to my eyes — the timing was remarkable. What welcome medicine that was (I gobbled up the last of them this morning).

Sunday came with an Easter visit from my son. I made us some brunch and we visited and I learned more about his bipolar challenges as he openly shared his thoughts with me. How I wish I could wave a magic Mother-wand and fix his brain, as I could feel his concerns (and he never, ever complains). Lovely moments together with my grown boy and I am happy he was willing to drive from Sacramento for time with his mom. All the bits of my heart and soul and mind are sloshing with thankfulness.

10″ x 7″ ink, watercolor on paper

 

 

 

watercolor painting of santa barbara courthouse by emily weil

daily painting | santa barbara courthouse

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Today is Good Friday. In the Christian tradition, it is the day Jesus was crucified, with Easter being the celebration of the miraculous resurrection. Though I no longer practice these beliefs, I am always heartened by the promising and hopeful message of new life emerging after death. Because I’m kinda tired of death. The daffodils and happy faces of the ice plant flowers blooming in my marina cheer me — every year they pop out, and they don’t care of news of war or pandemics or family strife. They just happily do what they do; I also so love the row of calla lilies blooming in Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands. Here in Alameda we don’t have snowy winters, but still the blooms in Spring boost our hearts. 

And I am sad today not to be with family for Easter, but there are unresolved difficulties still keeping folks apart. Families! Always somethin’. But I believe in love and hope and resolutions and resurrections and reunions. I do a morning meditation every day, where I calm myself and ask Great Spirit to walk with me. Today I visualized my two sisters who have recently left this earth hugging me, happy we are together. Every day I am grateful they are no longer in pain. I think they watch over me, helping me find my way.

About this painting — done at the watercolor workshop in Santa Barbara last week. And hey, I just heard a blurb on the news that today is the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier which is amazing and wonderful — and his widow Rachel, now 99, continues to work to fight racism. Doesn’t that just make your heart light up? Happy Easter and Passover and Ramadan, everyone.

6″ x 9″ ink, watercolor on paper

 

 

 

abstract ink, watercolor & pastel by emily weil

daily painting | secret code

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Sometimes when I wake up in the morning the howling grief monkeys are jumping on my bed. Today was one of those times, so I did my a.m. meditation practice (calming) and took out my journal to write notes to myself that go like this:

You are good, Emily.

You are sane.

Your brain cells feel like exploding popcorn kernels but you’ll be OK (add salt and butter).

Life is rich and beautiful and you always find your way to your best path (put your headlights on high-beam).

Is this what sanity looks like? I have no idea. What is sanity, anyways? Again, no clue. A grip on reality, I guess. On what’s real and true. Looking eyeball-to-eyeball at the facts (and not the alternative ones). There are times when life feels like being in a batting cage with a pitching machine hurling 90MPH baseballs at you and you don’t have a bat. Or a helmet or knee pads. And that’s just the way things are and you dodge and duck as best you can. I have two dead sisters, a flattened design business because of Covid, wrenching situations in my family that rip my heart up every day, and now my marina has new owners whose intentions are sketchy (where would I go?). BUT! My guinea pig Buster Posey cracked me up this morning with his little purring noises, today I am safe and warm and well-fed, I have loving and nurturing friends (I am so fortunate!), I get to watch eagles soar in the east bay hills with a fabulous birding companion, and last night I had a ball teaching students drawing lessons (they were amazing and very quick studies). Again, balancing things out. Life can be challenging, but as a dear British friend once encouraged (you can imagine her gorgeous accent), sooner or later Zeus will move on and hurl his lightning bolts at someone else.

About this painting — sometimes I’d rather stay home and linger in my PJs than go to my studio which can be a bit chilly and cavernous. So I get out sketchbooks and fool around with ink, acrylic pens, pastels and pencil. Working small like this makes life feel more contained.

PS Apologies for the metaphor soup.

7″ x 7″ ink, acrylic pen, watercolor, pencil, pastel on paper = $65

 

 

 

watercolor + pastel painting of snowy egret by emily weil

daily painting | snowy egret

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This snowy egret with its yellow slippers often stalks its fishy treats just outside my window on the muddy edges of the San Francisco estuary. This is commissioned painting #2 for my dear neighbor; this bird is a favorite of hers, with its wispy, snow-white feathers and careful search of watery prey at the water’s edge (OK and my apologies but here’s a favorite joke: “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted”). Anyways, thought I’d share this on my daily paintings page as I have been spending time in my studio working on large paintings again. Stay tuned.

15″ x 20″ watercolor, ink, pastel on paper

 

 

 

watercolor painting of night heron by emily weil

daily painting | visitors

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Late at night I will sometimes sit out on my deck, enjoying the midnight hour and watching the black-crowned night herons hunt on the docks (William, a young one still in juvenile plumage, often comes by and I saw him with a small silvery fish in its beak, but curiously he didn’t swallow it right away. I’m pretty sure William loves me). It’s peaceful — no construction noise, no clackety dock carts rolling by, no motorboats being rinsed off in the washing area, no neighbors coming and going. Last night I was admiring the gorgeous moon hanging out above the parking lot silos (and is that Jupiter up there?) — it’s still and calm. I noticed a disturbance in the water, just below the surface — then a harbor seal popped up, taking in the scene. I could hear it breathing. It was the coolest thing — harbor seals are not unusual out in the estuary, but this is only the second time I’ve seen one visit B dock. What a wonderful nocturnal hello.

This painting of a night heron (with its mating-season flirt feather on display, stilting through the mossy mud) was commissioned by a lovely neighbor who wants to take our birds with her as she may move north. I hope she stays. Neighbors like her don’t grow on trees.

15″ x 20″ watercolor, ink, pastel on paper

 

 

 

daily painting | happy boat

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Living in a marina makes for fun & sometimes surprising little scenes in the corners of the parking lot, including this small motorboat with an orange windscreen. I suppose the owner might not appreciate my thinking his boat is cute, but, well, it is. I added a lot of acrylic ink blots to liven it up; it was kind of a dull painting.

I spent part of my afternoon up in the redwoods in the Oakland hills as I needed soothing today. This damn grief bus sometimes runs me into dark alleyways. But the trees whisper kind words and help to receive my sadness. I am so grateful for these nearby spots that give me so much comfort.

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7″ x 10″ watercolor, pen, acrylic ink on paper = $90

 

 

 

watercolor and pastel painting of sailboat by emily weil

daily painting | for dominic

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I felt honored to participate in a plot instigated by my neighbor to create a surprise gift for her husband. Dina and Dom are sadly moving away from our marina, and they will be missed by everyone on B dock. As an appreciation to her husband who lovingly supports their move for her exciting new job, Dina gave me a photo of Dom sailing his boat with their beloved floating home in the background (the upper left corner shows the silos, used during WWII to store cement for ship-building, in our parking lot). It was a wonderful, big juicy secret and I was a happy part of the conspiracy. Their love for each other touched me and it was great fun.

Another thing about Dina — some months ago she posted on the marina FaceBook page a photo of an otter she spotted early one morning, hanging out on the docks not far from my boat. It was terribly exciting! Recently I had my front door cracked open on a warm day, and heard a funny, watery, plopping noise so I went out to investigate. A river otter (ID confirmed by helpful folks at the Marine Mammal Ctr)! On the houseboat deck next door. It nosed around and then defecated on a coiled hose, officially making this my neighbor Nancy’s poopdeck. I scrambled to take a few pics and then Steve (named by another neighbor who has seen him before) slipped back into the water and away he went. Little Stevie River Otter. I was thrilled and completely smitten. Hope he stops by again.

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21″ x 20″ watercolor, pencil, pastel on paper