Ocean Beach   6:25 p.m.

Ocean Beach   7:28 p.m.

Fearful Poetry Workshop

The Food Table, an essential element of any workshop.

It's actually called The Fearless Poetry Workshop. But since I signed up last year and chickened out at the last minute, I call it the Fearful Poetry Workshop.

Tonight was our first meeting. There are 12 of us plus Julie Bruck, who leads the group.

Tonight we each brought a poem we had written as a way of introducing ourselves. One thing I liked was that all the poems were relatively short. And some I could even understand.

Ocean Beach   7:04 p.m.

Found on Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach   7:33 p.m.

Sea Wall at Balboa Street

Ocean Beach   7:19 p.m.

Ocean Beach   7:45 p.m.

Black Heart With Things Stuck In It

Pop-Up Garden

The Great Highway and Lincoln

Lineup With Tortoise

(and dog) at Anne's Gallery

Just one word. Plastics.

In the Mail

Almost too much excitement for one morning. Two packages came in the mail today from my publisher.

Color proofs for Cynthia Rylant's book, which will come out in Spring 2017, and EASTER CANDY.

Watercolor 101, Week Six

We were asked to fill out an evaluation after this, our last class. I loved this class so much, and I said so. One thing I had been worried about was that Mr. Erik would make us paint flower arrangements and gourds. But he didn't! He let us paint whatever we wanted and tried to help us achieve what we were after. The other thing I can't get over about this class was that there was no class pest. Not one. Whenever you're in a group – any kind of group –  isn't there always supposed to be at least one loudmouth pest? Mr. Erik played great jazz from the 50's and 60's and we painted. That's all.

Some people improved dramatically (the Moby Dick lady, and the beach guy, below). I improved, too. If Mr. Erik offers the class again, I'll take it.

Stormy Monday

I was still feeling good on Monday, still collecting beach plastic. But I got caught in a downpour. When I turned around, here's what I saw:

Spring Fever at FOG

We celebrated the Vernal Equinox – the first day of Spring! – Saturday at Anne's Gallery. Fun, food, wine, and the most incredible art.

A detail from Outside Looking In.

Dogs are always welcome at the gallery.

Sold! Anne gets out the red dots.

When I'm feeling happy I collect things. This evening there was only one piece of sea glass left on the entire beach, so I started in on the plastic.

A Visit to Anne's Studio

I asked Anne if she had anything new to show me. She said, "No." Then she said, "Well, you know those potsherds I find on the beach? I've been painting those." So I bounded up the stairs behind her and here's what I saw.

The detail above is from a painting – a work in progress. It took my breath away. And below are some of the potsherds she's painted.

Watercolor 101, Week Five

Mr. Erik came by and his eye went straight to the red face. "That's how I'm feeling this evening," he said. "A little rough around the edges."