Welcome to the UltraEscape

No home, no car, no worries. On the road since 1996, a TechNomad couple share their travel secrets and adventures.



Easter Palm Trees

Easter Sunday. The alarm ring at 5:30 A.M. We rose early to experience the sun rise over Atlantic Ocean. It's only about a 30 minute walk on the seashore to the Jacksonville Beach SeaWalk Pavilion. (We attended the Seafood Festival the evening before at the pavilion and are looking forward to the Blues Festival in April.)

The Easter Sunrise Service was underway when we arrived. The sky was still black with a few stars visible and the moon was full. We listened to the service and music as we watched the sky brighten until the red orb of the sun finally appeared through the low laying clouds. We were not alone. There were hundreds of families on the beach celebrating the dawning of a new day.

After returning to the cottage, I ignored the computer and spent the rest of the day with brush in hand. My acrylic painting of palms and hut now has pillars that are attached to the roof, the front post is longer to give the impression of space behind it and with the purchase of a roll of blue painter's tape, my lines are relatively straight.

Now, I need to get a spray bottle...I remembered to wet the canvas before attempting the longer palmetto fronds of the palm trees, so the acrylic paint went on smoothly. But I was so engrossed in the act of painting, I forgot to apply water before painting on the main fronds. The result was sketchy fronds without substance, not to mention the fact that they are from two different species of tree!

As with every location we visit I always learn something new. Since we arrived at our vacation rental in Florida, I have researched the differences between a porpoise, a dolphin and a shark. Today, I looked up the proper name for the type of palm trees I am attempting to paint.

Yes, my palm fronds are indeed from two different species of tree...one is that of the royal palm or coconut palm. The two trees look very similar from a distance. The other tree is the sabal palmetto, commonly known as the cabbage palm. Do you know the difference? One has long slender, fringed fronds, the other has a long stem with a fan configuration at the end. That is the image I am trying to capture.

Oh, and next time I pick up my brush, I'll wear shoes and either raise the painting on the easel for standing or lower it for sitting while I figure out how to correct the palm tree problem. That way I may avoid the aching back and sore feet that resulted from 8 hours of getting lost in the act of painting.

Oh, well. Learning is what it's all about.

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