Welcome to DJ Geribo's Art Apart Newsletter!

This summer, despite the rainy weather, has turned out to be pretty much like summers from the past — the busiest season of the year. Although I get out a lot in the fall and that is my favorite time to hike, go exploring, and of course, apple-picking, and winter sends us back inside with an occasional foray out into the cold to snowshoe, and spring brings the ice melts and first buds that so boldly sound nature's alarm clock, we spend as much time as possible getting outside in the summer months in the northeast where I live. This then turns summer into the busiest season and the one that goes by the fastest.

Which is why I've decided to do a double month newsletter for July/August. Cookouts, boat rides, outdoor concerts, and art fairs keep our calendar filled for these 2 months. And because our calendar is filled with so many social commitments, there just doesn't seem to be much time for painting. I am working on a couple of 18"x24" pieces, a little bigger than my Daily Paintings — Animals 5"x7" size but not quite at the 30"x40" size yet. I'm sure I will have several new pieces to show for my next newsletter. I have also been doing a lot of writing — I'm committed to finishing at least one book before the end of this year. I love writing and am often torn as to which I want to work on from day to day — painting or writing. I certainly am not suffering from writer's or painter's block! I did spend a little time working with watercolors on yupo paper and did a small painting of a wolf with pup.

I am also still having the life drawing sessions and am about to add a once-a-month evening session, starting in September, for a few people who are interested in joining us but just cannot make the morning sessions because of job commitments. I'm happy this is still going strong and that so many people are getting so much out of it.

Once a year we take a trip down to Boston and spend the day on my brother's boat, cruising the harbor. The trip this year was particularly special because I got to spend time with family I hadn't seen in awhile.

As we sat on the bow of the boat, we watched a tanker squeeze its way under the Tobin Bridge, jet skiers and kayakers bounce over the waves, and other boaters wave as we passed by. Sitting there, looking into the deep ocean blue, suddenly a plastic bag appeared. Now, with the brisk winds as you float across the ocean, it's conceivable that a plastic bag or two will sail off your boat and into the ocean. But then I saw a plastic bottle, and then another plastic bag and another bottle and several other pieces of trash that was just too much and I left the bow and went back into the cover of the boat, where I could see the ocean but not the debris floating in it. Close up was too upsetting.

And then I thought about our daily walks where we pick the trash up off the road every few weeks. On just one road. This is the big ocean. I just couldn't fathom how much trash ends up there with sea creatures trying to eat it or suffering from getting their heads stuck in something or eating discarded plastic. But all I can do is take care of my road and be sure to secure all plastic bags and bottles the next time I take a ride on the ocean.

DJ Geribo gives 10% of the profits on the sales of her artwork to animal protection organizations.