"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking" (-Earl Wilson)

Well, it's been a very busy period here, and now, I am heading off on my vacation.

It's back to Boone, NC, and the mountains for me, for another watercolor workshop. I'm very excited to have the opportunity of observing Ted Nuttall paint. His work is beautiful: mostly figurative and portrait work. Here are a few examples of Ted's paintings.

I've been absent from my blog recently as well, and for that I apologize. I just returned from our annual Work Retreat, this year once again at the Duke Marine Lab on the coast, in Beaufort, NC. I'm sharing some photos from the Marine Lab with you today: it's a stunning locale at the southern end of the Outer Banks of North Carolina:

The Marine Lab is a beautiful setting, and I don't get down to visit those folks often enough, but when we have our retreat there, I am struck once again by how fortunate I am to work in such a wonderful environment. The Marine Lab has been around from the 1930's, and it's a fascinating place with all sorts of amazing research being conducted there and throughout the world.

The folks studying at our Marine Lab are right on the water, with access to numerous kinds of boats that they can use recreationally as well as for research and study. Some of them travel all up and down the eastern coast, (such as the "Susan Hudson" below) and others span the globe.

I had hoped to get some time to do some sketching, but alas, I haven't had time recently, so I'm sharing some pretty photos instead! Below is the lobby of the Duke Marine Lab "Repass Center," which is their Leeds Gold-certified "Green" building, and on the walls, where you see fish art work, even those are creatively fashioned from re-purposed surfboards:


I always think the term "Marine Lab" is a bit of a misnomer, because it's really its own mini-campus, with a typical college quad, as well as dorms, a library, academic buildings and a dining hall. It's right on the water, in a serene locale. From some shores, you can look across and see wild ponies! It's really an idyllic spot. (Adirondack chairs on the back deck of the Repass Center, overlooking the water:)

Here is a photo of a typical dorm at the Marine Lab:

and here is the Dining Hall:

and an open quad area:


(I don't know about you, but it always makes me want to go back to school and become a Marine Biologist when I see this place!) Here's where we parked ourselves outside for lunch yesterday:

So even though I'm heading to the mountains this week for my workshop, I'll have fond memories of the beautiful waters and the peaceful oasis that housed us this past week:

I'll hope to have some watercolor activity here soon, but in the meantime, I'm excited that I'm off to learn!

A big thank you all again so much for all your thoughtful words regarding my sister and father. Claudia has finished her first round of a chemo cocktail, and she's moving onward to a 12 week round of Taxol in the next stage of her treatment. Please keep her in your thoughts... My dad, thankfully, continues to improve. I really appreciate all your kind notes to me.

A bientot, friends! (with accents, she says, not having a clue how to do that!)