Wrapping Up

Clouds, Birds 8 in progress

©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 8"

I'm putting final touches on this years work while thinking back over the year. In my studio 2011 work adds up to 36 paintings, 5 group exhibitions, and 3 awards. The biggest challenge, of pulling myself together to go to Scotland to paint, had also the biggest rewards in a fantastic experience, new friendships and wonderful memories.

I'm updating my online resumes and remembering art world losses this year; Leonora Carrington, Cy Twombly and just recently, Helen Frankenthaler. A more complete list here.

I'm still assembling resolutions and goals for 2012. Perhaps a goal will be to double how many paintings I paint or take more painting trips. To aid artists in reaching their exhibition goals, gallerist and artist adviser Sylvia White has posted a list of opportunities for artists, more than one for each day of the month.

What are your goals for the new year?

Happy Holidays!

Wishing peace and joy to all.

I'm excited just knowing that the daylight is beginning to last longer.

And More Birds

Clouds, Birds 5 in progress

©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 8"

There is an advantage to working on these paintings right now. Because of their small size they are easy to illuminate with artificial light. Another plus I've found to painting in winter is that the studio is so cold at night that any paints left out on the palette stay fresh. I can never get away with leaving paint out in the summer!

More Birds

Clouds, Birds 4  in progress 

©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 8" 

Here's another in the birds flocking series.Since these are small I can often work on two or three in a day, building up layers, and then setting them aside to dry while I go on to others.

Meanwhile a 40 x 60 inch linen is stretched and toned and will be dry enough to work on this week. It was having odd puckering issues, but now, to my relief,it has finally flattened out.

A Burst of Color: Holiday Greeting Cards

Leading a selection of Holiday Greeting Cards available through
Zazzle is one with bright red orange against blue grey.

Discounts and specials abound at Zazzle and at Zazzle you don't have to buy multiples of the same card to receive a quantity discount. You'll receive a quantity discount on any order of 10 or more cards.

Assembling a Series

Clouds, Birds  in progress ©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 8" each 

Here are the first three of a series of twelve small square paintings of clouds and flocking birds. I've been working on many diptychs, triptychs, and modular paintings lately. A group of modular paintings can have the visual impact of a single large scale piece but has built in portability and versatility. Much of the time I've found that paintings in a grouping can be completely rearranged while still working together as a whole.  

My 7 Links

I'm honored to be chosen by local artist Kathryn Hansen to take part in the My 7 Links Project.

For this project each blogger selects one post to fit each of seven categories and then nominates up to 5 more bloggers to do the same, and so on, and so on,.as a way of "uniting bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint venture."

Here goes:

Most Popular Post

The Top Eleven Artists That I Have Found To Be a Large Influence

These are the artists, both historical and contemporary that I've selected as being highly influential to me.

Most Controversial Post 

Vegan Art Supplies

Not many of my posts seem to be controversial, but I think this one has ruffled the most feathers.

Most Helpful Post

Artwork Inventory Form  This seems the one that I get the most thanks for. 

    

Most Surprisingly Successful Post Ten Highlights From My Dream Resume: A Surreakist Game 

I knew this post was a shot in the dark, it was delightful to get a response!

Most Neglected Post 

 Rain Catcher 

Maybe it's the title, or that there isn't an image that goes with this, or maybe this   level of water conservation is just an odd quirk of my own. 

Post I'm Most Proud Of 
Art's Influence on Motion Picture Design
It's a series of posts about how art has influenced motion pictures. This one about Andrew Wyeth is one of the series of six posts.


Most Beautiful Post  
Storm Clouds Over Lava Fields
We all know that beauty is in the eye (or mind, or heart0 of the beholder, so you tell me, it could be this one, or maybe another....

The bloggers I have chosen to nominate are:

Lynne Windsor
I took Lynne's painting workshop in Scotland this fall and had the time of my life. And Lynne has recently been studying for an advanced degree in printmaking.. Her artwork is beautiful and I'm finding following along with her explorations to be fascinating.

Dianne Poinski
I met Dianne online, although she has roots in my neighborhood. She is a photographer who creates works of art, hand coloring her photographs. She also generously shares her process through teaching, writing, and on her blog.

Beth Rommel
I also met Beth online.I find the artwork on her blog to be colorful and fun and it has a story telling element to it that grabs my attention. See if you don't find the same.

Thanks Kathryn for choosing me to take part!

Little New

Clouds Trees Barn in progress
©2011 Katherine Kean
8 x 6" oil on linen

Sky Trees Sheep in progress SOLD
©2011 Katherine Kean
6 x 6" oil on linen

I've been working on finishing the paintings for my next exhibition and hoping to complete them by the end of the year. However I couldn't wait to start on some paintings of Scotland. Here are two small beginnings, above.

Not much else is new. I'm about halfway or so through restoring the photos that I lost. It has been going smoothly, so I don't expect it will take too much longer, especially now that I've learned how to work around a couple of things that have changed with Blogger since Google took over.

Photo Foibles

I was all set to follow up to Kathryn Hansen's post My 7 Links, when I experienced an internet mishap. While editing my Google + profile I noticed pages and pages of old photos displayed. They seemed irrelevant and I couldn't see a method to limit their visability. However I did see a delete button and decided to use it. The usual warning appeared, "are you sure, cannot be restored" etc. I was sure - and I still am - I do not want those photos on that profile and so I clicked yes to delete and thought no more about it...until the next day when I saw that everywhere on my blog where a photo used to be was this :

It turns out that Google + has linked all of their platforms together, which includes both Blogger and Picassa web albums, so deleting the album in one place deletes it everywhere.Seven years of images were removed. Fortunately I have almost all, if not all of the photos I deleted and I can replace them one by one. I've already taken care of about 10 % of this. I really feel for the people who  have uploaded directly from cell phones and other ways that may not have a hard drive copy.

I will address the My 7 Links concept in a future post. With so much material missing, right now doesn't seem like the best time for a review..

Fall in New England: Wind and Rain and Snow (???) Oh My!

Geese in the Blackstone River Valley, New England

 I managed a quick trip to New England - dare I say a whirlwind trip? No, I better not. While hoping to catch some transitional color, in the past week it feels as if I have experienced every type of weather. Rain and fog in Los Angeles turned into warm and sun, followed by rain in New England which turmed into bright, sunny blue skies. The blue skies were quickly replaced with rain and snow and wind - and lots of it! We were lucky, managing to be on the road on the brightest of days and arriving ahead of the storm to stay cozy and warm inside during the worst of the squall. The sun the next day was strong enough to melt any snow that may have been an obstacle to the return trip. Not all were so lucky, many people had power outages or experienced travel delays and it was probably not much fun for children to go trick or treating with mittens and boots and heavy coats.

While I was assured that I was not seeing the best of it, I was happy with the foliage I got to see and the combination of leafy and bare branches. I like the smoky effect produced by the layers of leafless trees, punctuated here and there with bursts of color and that I could see the structure of the forest and varieties of tree height.

Work in Progress: Murmuration

Murmuration in progress © 2011 Katherine Kean
oil on linen triptych 48 x 126" overall

Here is what the large triptych taking up all the breathing room in my studio looks like at the moment- click on the image to see it enlarged. It will be getting a few more layers and I suspect the bird formations will change somewhat, but I'm not going to say in what way just yet. What I will say is that I'm glad that I did most of this painting during the longer days. At this time of year my studio seems a little darker every day and I have to start depending more and more on artificial light.

And Then the Cows Came Home

Part of the fun of painting outdoors is experiencing first hand all the elements of nature. This includes weather, light, insects, and animals.On one of the fairest days while painting in Scotland we went to the Tweed River and set up on a private road by a farm. It was really an excellent location with a view of the river and hills, but off the main road and sheltered from the wind.  The farmer, riding an all terrain vehicle, was just bringing a few cows through as we arrived and gave his permission for us to be there. He mentioned that the rest of the herd still in the pasture would likely be curious and want to watch us. As we set up our easels we did indeed notice quite a few cows clustering by the gate peering at us, wondering I'm sure, just what we were up to. However, when we approached them to take a picture they all turned and quickly shuffled off -  apparently camera shy.

We all went back to work, eventually settling down to paint, working as quickly as possible in case the weather decided to change. When we next looked up, right behind us the whole herd had returned. They must have tip toed silently up behind us, for now they were all lined up at the gate staring intently while we painted. Perhaps these were special ninja cattle, because I never heard a sound.

Later on we saw that further down the path there were cows coming from the other direction and since we were set up directly in their way it seemed wise to break down our easel set ups and get ourselves out of the way. It was about time to go anyway, so we quickly commenced capping and stowing paint tubes, wiping off brushes, packing up paintings, and folding up our tripods. Cows it seems, are not only stealthy, but in spite of their size move quickly, because quite soon a large grey one was right there before us. Did I mention how large cows are? Rose, who was closest,  reassured the cow as she packed up her things, that we would soon be out of the way. The grey cow waited, shifting her weight from side to side and occasionally swishing her tail. At last we were completely packed up and able to move aside to let the grey cow by. What did she do then? She turned around and walked back the way she had come.

Wrap Em Up, Ship Em Out

I was caught by surprise when returning from my trip to learn that Paint America had been trying to get in touch about delivery of artwork to Saint Louis for exhibition. I had to drop everything and scramble to get the work shipped out. Fortunately the organizers of the exhibition had arranged for a discount to the artists on AirFloat Systems lined strong boxes. I really like using these boxes to ship because they give me great confidence that the artwork will arrive undamaged.

As soon as the boxes arrived I wrapped the framed paintings with plastic pallet wrap to prevent dings in the frames or scratches on the paintings' surfaces. Then I created a custom sized pocket for each painting  - easy to do in the pre-perforated foam - I didn't even need a knife. Then I sealed the boxes and took them to the Post Office during the first downpour of the season. I got soaked! But no matter. The people at the Post Office gave me a stack of paper towels. I dried off my packages and then sent them on their way. All three boxes were delivered to the Jefferson National Expansion Monument within 24 hours.

This leg of the Paint the Parks 2011 traveling exhibition will be on exhibit  through January 9, 2012.

Beautiful Scotland

 I returned last week from traveling to Scotland to take part in Lynne Windsor's workshop. Lynne scouted a number of beautiful locations to paint, each one more spectacular then the rest.

Since this was my first visit to the U.K. I wasn't sure what to expect. Many people told me to bring lots of warm clothing, however I didn't want to go overboard on the packing since I also had to bring an easel and art supplies. The layers I brought served well. The weather was variable, to say the least, but never extremely hot or extremely cold. Sometimes it rained and sometimes it was windy, while others times it was sunny and mild. It all suited me just fine, being the big fan of weather that I am.

The workshop was wonderful. Lynne started with a demo, explaining her process as she painted, while we watched, took notes, and asked questions. Each day we painted either outdoors en plein air, or in the studio, depending on the weather. In between painting we had the opportunity to get lots of photos - there seemed to be limitless opportunities. The skies were gorgeous and constantly changing, illuminating various aspects of the landscape, while flocks of sheep arranged themselves in pleasing patterns.  I had so much fun, learned plenty, and will benefit from seeing things in a new way.

More on this to come. In the meantime Lynne has posted several photos on her blog..

Preparing Plein Air Panels

While considering what to bring on a painting trip I looked at buying plein air panels to paint on. They tend to be light and small - great for carrying and it seems a good idea keep luggage weight as low as possible while traveling. And since  there are slots to carry thin panels built into my painting box, I might as well use them. My other criteria were that they be quality material, archival, and cruelty free. In other words I wanted oil primed linen mounted on a board - not on a paper or foam product. Inexpensive would be nice also!

I finally found what seemed like the perfect product, oil primed linen, mounted on a board. I ordered a half dozen. They arrived and as I was about to tear into the plastic wrapping, I noticed that the label stated "primed with rabbit skin glue". Fortunately the supplier agreed to take them back. I never did find the product with the exact specifications I wanted, but I did find Art Boards Plein Air - Archival Mounting Panels. These are a thin maple board coated with a heat activated reversible archival adhesive. I have plenty of small pieces of oil primed linen - trims left over from stretching larger surfaces, so using these I've tried them out and I'm happy to say they are quite easy to use. The boards need to be briefly heated: two minutes at 250 degrees - an oven works great - then press the linen (or canvas, or paper, or whatever you are using) to the adhesive surface while it cools. Once it has cooled to about 150 degrees or so, the bond is made. I also tried the reversal to see if it really worked - and it does. All you need to do is reheat the panel and while it is still warm the linen lifts right off.

I used mini clips to press the edges of the linen to the adhesive surface.

I'll also bring along some pieces of unstretched linen to tape or clip to a board as I work that I can stretch back in the studio.

On the Easel, On the Wall, On the Floor

Marsh Path in progress Katherine Kean
48 x 48" oil on linen

Here's a sneak peek at the works in progress in the studio. The painting above just barely fits on the easel, while the two triptychs below are being painted as they hang on or lean against the wall. The larger is 10 1/2 feet wide, and the smaller one is 6 feet wide.

What Happens When You Don't Pick the Artichoke

 The part of the artichoke that we eat is a flower bud, so if you don't pick the artichoke it goes on to blossom.

 I sometimes find it difficult to decide whether to have a feast for the eyes or plate. This year I left one bud to flower. I can't get over the color.

 While I was taking these photographs one bee after another visited this flower. They each climbed all the way in through the purple to the middle and then climbed back out and went on their way.

Something Old or Something New: Which to Exhibit in a Group Show?

Dreaming ©2007 Katherine Kean
oil on canvas 24 x 18"

In deciding what to put into a group exhibition, some of the decision making may already be done for you. Many times when one is invited to a group exhibition there is already a theme in place, which will limit your options. It could be as general as a small works show or as specific as work with the color red.  Also group shows tend to impose size restrictions such as nothing larger than 24 x 30".

There are often other rules - only work completed during the past 12 months, or two years, or three, or only works on paper.

Recently a friend was considering whether to exhibit an older piece that he already knew was a strong work, or something from a brand new series still forming. My advice:

There are pros and cons to both. I'd probably go with the new work as long as you have the strength of vision to not be put off if you don't like the feedback. I sometimes "protect" new work until I feel it's strong enough on it's own and my idea of the direction it's going is well established. I've had the experience of selling really new work that I actually would have benefited from keeping around in the studio while I worked on the rest of the series. While I was happy to have a sale, it felt like a little setback to not have it for a little longer to refer to.

On the other hand, positive support can energize you and exhibiting can be a good way to see if a piece stands on it's own, apart from the series. Also, if you're not going to be making more of your older work it probably won't help you much to create a big demand for it - unless you have plenty left over that you'd like to sell. But, take the venue into account - sometimes it feels better to show something that you already know is really strong.

What would you do in the same situation? Would you show something old or something new?

Shorter, Warmer Days

Passing Through - in progress ©2011 Katherine Kean
24 x 36" oil on linen on panel

Besides working in the studio, the past week has found me picking work up from various summer shows. Easy enough, yet time consuming - balancing the galleries' hours with traffic. Picking up from Shoshana Wayne was a snap - no traffic, plenty of parking, no line, no problem with paperwork, no problem all around. Nothing at all like the installation day.

I'm very aware that the days have started getting shorter. Because of my travel plans, and knowing that seeing new places can change the direction I've been working in,  I'm attempting to finish everything that I started during the past two months. The one above is almost there (you can see it's beginnings here) , a large landscape is more than halfway, but an even larger triptych  - 10 1/2 feet wide - is barely started with just a graduated color ground applied. But, we have our summer heat now, so the garden and the hills are not the tempting distractions they were a few days ago, and everything will dry quickly.

Mid-Summer

Connect the Drops -SOLD ©2011 Katherine Kean 
oil on linen 12 x 16"

I'm balancing enjoying summer "leisure" - and nearly perfect weather - with painting and getting ready for fall. I'm preparing for a trip to Scotland for a painting workshop. So far, I've equipped myself with a lightweight tripod and pochade box. The pochade box holds paint, palette, and brushes, has slots to hold small panels and fits in my suitcase. The tripod works well with the box and my camera. Because airlines charge so much now for baggage or extra weight this works out economically. My old French Easel, though beautiful, is heavy, and setting it up sometimes feels like teaching a new born giraffe to stand for the first time.

In the garden the grapes have come early and I've managed to save some from the wildlife to eat myself. I found some reusable nylon shopping bags that I slip over the bunches and tie. The mesh is fine enough to keep out the animals, but still allows light and air in. I also have squash, lettuce, chard, asparagus, arugula, and artichokes this year. I cannot grow beans - literally, not metaphorically - which is puzzling because they used to be the easiest for me to grow. I'm surprised to still have lettuce so late in the season, but I'm not complaining at all!

I delivered El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection to TAG Gallery. The painting above, Connect the Drops, sold there last weekend. This week I"ll be in the studio making new work.

In the Top 100: Paint the Parks 2011

Rapidly Changing Conditions  © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 20 x 30"

Three of my paintings have been chosen to be included in the Top 100 picks of Paint America's 2011 Paint the Parks competition. Rapidly Changing Conditions, above is included in the Top 100 main category and the two paintings below, Maine: Tides, Rocks and Vent are both in the Top 100 mini category for paintings that are 180 square inches or less.

PaintAmerica’s “Paint the Parks” is an open international artists’ juried competition with proceeds to help fund the PaintAmerica mission of supporting the visual arts and artists across the country. A portion of proceeds from “Paint the Parks” will be contributed to the National Parks Foundation and the PaintAmerica Scholarship Fund.


Paintings in this competition must depict one of our nation's 390 areas supervised by the National Park Service.Rapidly Changing Conditions and Vent portray Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, while Maine: Tides, Rocks represents Acadia National Park.

Maine: Tides, Rocks   © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 8 x 10"

Vent  © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 10 x 10" 

El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection

 El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection  ©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 10"

I worked hard to keep this simple, if that makes any sense. What I mean is it would have been easy for me to become obsessed with defining the many fascinating intricacies of the craggy boulder and overlapping wave forms. However, I resisted, instead mostly allowing the main silhouettes and shadow shapes and the strong blood orange color to carry the mood. Could I go further with the simplification? Probably, yes. Next time.

Now, as August and the summer heat arrives,  would be an excellent time to visit this beach. 

Looking at Chain Letter

I used to have a recurring dream. It was at a time in my life when although I was working in a creative position, I wasn't having the opportunity to express myself authentically. In the dream I had discovered a building full of odd things. Perhaps this was an abandoned manufacturing warehouse, for everywhere there were fascinating objects or discarded toys and each had a story to tell, or represented an idea, or evoked a feeling, or sang, shimmered, glowed, or lit up. In my dream the discovery of this forgotten place was like finding a secret treasure trove and one of the best parts was that it seemed to just go on and on, one room opening to another. Each time I had this dream I would find something new.

Viewing the installation of Chain Letter at Shoshana Wayne Gallery reminds me of this dream.











http://youtu.be/aVncSWHm3Zk

Chain Letter Los Angeles Installation

Line of cars at the Cloverfield exit on the 10 Freeway

After wavering on the idea - like many I dislike crowds and lines and traffic - and wondered what work would I want to put into a show so anonymous and so crowded? I decided to at least try to install a small piece of artwork in the Chain Letter Los Angeles edition at Shoshana Wayne Gallery at Bergamot Station. I also had the privelege of installing on behalf of two artists who could not be there in person that day, yet reserving the option of bailing out if it was too much.

Experience has taught me to avoid Michigan Avenue when traveling to Bergamot on any day that there might be an unusually large crowd, so I parked north of Olympic in a paid structure and walked a block and a half. Fortunately the three artworks I carried were very small. I arrived shortly after 10 am to see a line that ran from the gallery door east, then south, and then west alomg the perimeters of the complex. I took my place at the end behind a man with a dog named Pete (or maybe the man's name was Pete and the dog's name was Buddy) and started filling in the submission forms for the artwork using my Kindle as a writing surface. The sun came out from behind the morning haze all too soon, so I opened my umbrella for shade.

The line kept slowly moving, friends and acquaintances arrived and took their places in line both behind and ahead. Information circulated and by 11:15 or so we learned that the gallery was full. I was surprised. I'd read on the Chain Letter Facebook page that the stacking of artwork might occur and I was picturing a vast pile of work, so how could it be a pile already? They opened a second space, a smaller space, perhaps we would be in that space so we waited. Some people bailed out. I stayed, the man with the dog named Pete stayed, the woman ahead of us who had lived in Ohio stayed. We muttered to each other that we must be diehards. The line inched forward. The man with the dog went for a sandwhich and water for his dog and returned. Information came around about a third space opening and we were getting closer to the head of the line. When I finally got there the woman at the desk said "Thank you for waiting" which made me laugh. She numbered my submission forms and gave me three corresponding numbered yellow stickers for the art and told me to install in D2 since the work was small. The larger pieces were being sent to the third space in F1. My work is number 761. It was 1:15 pm when I left. Almost a thousand more pieces were installed after.

Many people documented the process, links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11yWTK5Dlo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8fkjO5NPc

Summertime and Chain Letter

The 405 closure - and successful early reopening is behind us. I can't help it if some civic pride creeps into my voice - I'm so amazed at how well a huge city full of car dependent people managed to make Carmageddon a non event. The road ahead is clear for another kind of gridlock happening this weekend at Bergamot Station. I will be participating in two group shows; the Summertime show at TAG Gallery, featuring the work of 40 artists and across the parking lot at Shoshana Wayne,  Chain Letter will also open, featuring the work of ....well, hundreds, if not thousands of artists.

The premise behind Chain Letter is that 10 artists were invited and instructed to each invite 10 artists they admire and so on, and on, and on. The work will be installed on the floor, possibly stacked, so I'm choosing to bring something small and sturdy to contribute. I'll leave it to you to imagine what kind of traffic nightmare could occur as everyone descends on the gallery on Friday the 22nd to install and again on Saturday the 23rd  for the opening. 

This event has already started in several other cities. An account of how it went in Boston can be found on Joanne Mattera's blog.

Synthetic Paint Brushes

Passing Through work in progress  ©2011 Katherine Kean

24 x 36" oil on linen on panel

Since removing animal products from my diet, I've learned more about all the ways that animals are used and abused to make not only food, but cosmetics, clothing, shoes, furniture, and even art supplies, As I wrote about here, I started to research new products to replace the non-vegan supplies I've come to rely on all these years. I'd been taught that the best brush for an artists must be a natural bristle brush, preferably a sable. No longer willing to buy and use a brush derived from killing animals, not to mention abhoring the cruel trapping and farming practices, I started looking for a synthetic substitute.

The first brushes I tried out were okay, far better then the ones made years ago, but just not quite as responsive as the natural bristles I've become used to. I've wondered if I would have to learn to make do and adjust my painting style accordingly. Whenever I'm in an art store I look at what they are offering in the synthetic bristle category and recently while browsing in a Utrecht store, I picked up a synthetic mongoose brush made by the Princeton Art & Brush Company. I didn't have high expectations and didn't even try it out for some time. It just sat there on the easel shelf, all clean and new.

Then the other day when I was about to begin painting the numerous twisty branches in the painting started above I decided to try it out and what do you know - it was fantastic! It did everything I would expect from a natural bristle brush. It carried a good load of paint, so I could start out on a long, broad stroke, follow through all the twists and turns and end with a fine point.

This one was a number 6 round. What a joy to paint with. The next time I'm buying brushes I plan on getting some more.

New Work

I've updated my website with new paintings. I finally got the "stay inside" weather I needed, just not in the form I expected. This year we had a spectacular spring with regular rain and a nice mixture of sunny and overcast days, not too hot, not too cold. The garden displayed a sequence of color for the entire season, daffodils, hyacinths, foxglove, amaryllis, allium, jasmine, hydrangeas, gardenias, and roses. A nice treat considering how many seasons past the flowers have come out only to be withered and blown away by Santa Anas. But not this year. This year it was just too nice to be inside and working on websites when the weather was so perfect for digging and trimming and mulching (and sneezing). It finally came to an end, right on schedule by the calendar, with a heat wave - just too hot to garden or hike, but perfect for staying inside and working on websites.

When the weather is fine

Marsh Path sketch ©2011 Katherine Kean 6 x 6"

I find this time of year the best for painting. The days are long and there is plenty of light.On warm days my studio is always cool and inviting and I have a freshly stretched 48 x 48" linen ready to paint.

The drawing above combines a typical view of the sky from my house together with a marsh field from Cape Cod. These elements together male a place that doesn't exist, but could be almost anywhere.

You can still see raindrops...

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