I have a confession to make; I have a fetish. Those of you who read my post Fancy Footwork will no doubt think I have a foot fetish. Not true. I have a fetish for islands. When stress overcomes me and I close my eyes and set sail for my imaginary happy place, I always find myself on a remote beach with my toes half-buried in warm sand. I was weaned on movies like Mysterious Island, Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island and I’ve never gotten over the idea of traveling to a remote island and finding treasure worthy of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Over the years I’ve fed my Robinson Crusoe fantasies with trips to exotic islands like Rarotonga, Bora Bora, Isla Mujeres and Corfu. I just can’t get enough of turquoise water, palm trees and shimmering white sand. I’ve created many pictures of islands over the years, most of them inspired by topographical beauty, but these two paintings of the same island came from a remote place in my imagination, a place not stamped on any passport. This is not an island that’s going to end up on a Carnival Cruise itinerary.
Have you been to an exotic island, or dreamed of sailing to one?
I've been to Aruba and it was wonderful; but now I refuse to fly anymore, so if I get to any islands it will have to be by bridge or boat!
ReplyDeleteI suppose I live on an Island. :D Can't see any palm trees though.
ReplyDeleteBtw There's an award for you on my blog. :)
My husband and I have visited a lot of the Carribean Islands and islands that aren't Carribean such as Bermuda...sometimes via cruises and sometimes going straight to a resort. I, like you, love the sandy beaches and the water so blue it looks like it is part of a painting. The last time we were in Jamaica, though, I came upon the realization that I could never live there or any of the islands. The slow pace is great for a vacation but I am a type A personaliy. I move with a purpose and I usually move fast.
ReplyDeleteTruly if one more islander moving at a snail's pace says "no worries" while I am trying to do something....there might be one less islander.
Still a great place to vacation though.
I went to Mackinac Island once, does that count? But it was also cold and pouring rain that day, so not much picturesque scenery.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I read "Life of Pi" and he comes across this weird island that's made up entirely of these strange plants, like literally that's what makes up the entire island are the plants. No rocks or anything. I'm not sure anything like that exists in real life, though thanks to the tsnunami in Japan there's probably an island of garbage in the Pacific.
We have a barrier island here off the coast of Texas, and although it's not like an exotic island far away, we love going there to just relax on the beach. Love the island mentality~
ReplyDeleteNothing tropical. Just that island off the coast of Alaska, from which I had to be rescued by a float plane. I'm no beach bunny.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll answer with a post of my own ...some day.
ReplyDeleteThe only "Island(s)" I have been on have been Tybee Island, Georgia; Hunting Island,South Carolina; and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. My son has visited Mexico and he tells me that the beaches there are so beautiful, with crystal clear water and white sand.
ReplyDeleteI do so love the beach, not swimming in the ocean, but just walking along the edge of the water taking in the sounds and beauty of the ocean. I could definitely live by the sea. One of my most favorite things in the world to do is to watch the day come to life and the sun rise over the ocean. A remote island might get boring after awhile though with "no phone, no lights, no motor car", I suppose I would want to do a little shopping now and again too. But it is nice to dream about and escape to in my mind when things get a bit stressful!
When I was 13, my family moved to the Florida Keys for a year. It's a lot less awesome than it sounds. One of my favorite things to do was to take a ride on my dad's motorboat and go out to one of the smaller deserted islands for the day. We'd pack lunch, towels and a metric ton of sunscreen and spend all day snorkeling, building sandcastles, hunting crabs, etc. I'm still trying to get my husband go to the Keys with me and go snorkeling, but I doubt we'll get back to that island. It was really small, and after 17 years, I have no idea where it's located. I do like islands though. Both of the tropical and Huckleberry Finn variety!
ReplyDeleteI really do love that painting! Wow! What an imagination you have and what a joy it is to see the results... I live on an Island -- it's a bit crowded! Sailed to Majorca once and found it quite a place -- but unfortunately that holiday was marred by a crazy woman! After a while, I find being on an island no matter exotic or not, makes me feel restless and hemmed in. But I love to be on the East coast -- places with long sandy beaches -- Cape Cod in particular. I love being able to look way way out to sea, but I like have a big continent to my back...
ReplyDeleteEvery time it is cold, i wish for a winter home in Tahiti. If i had the means, i'd get one, too. Islands are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is a wonderful feeling with golden sand underfoot, palm trees and a beautiful ocean. We live on the beautiful island, however my favorite Canary Island is Fuerteventura which I believe means The Island of Harmony. Love the image at the end but I am sorry to say "No man is an Island!" Love it and share your dream!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the turquoise water, the palm trees and shimmering white sand. But I don't like islands. They make me nervous; they make me feel isolated, cut off. I remember when I lived in Manhattan for a few years. I never really got to like it that much. And I finally figured out why. It's an island, and cut off from the rest of America.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, those are two very peculiar -- and spooky -- pictures!
Uhm, sorry, but I need infrastructure. Badly. hee hee
ReplyDeleteAnd my first thoughts were of the movie, Castaway.
I need laughing gas for my dentistry work.
heh heh
WILSON!
HA!
I am more of a city person. The thought of being castaway on an island is a close nightmare.
ReplyDeleteP.S. i failed to log in for 5 days and god you have psoted 3 blog posts! It's hard to keep up with Mr Chatterbox I guess :P
I live on an island. It has all the peaceful beauty you describe plus some majestic mountains...then, when I want to see cars, people and shops I drive to the other side of my island and join the rest of humanity. Your paintings remind me of one here done by a local artist...Chinaman's Hat..with the Chinaman sitting under the water. Try Google for a looksee.
ReplyDeleteBut of course! I always dream of somewhere remote, sandy and surrounded by turquoise water, and now that I've experienced sailing, getting there by boat is included in my escapist fantasies!
ReplyDeleteI have cruised to many tropical islands. Not the ones you mentioned here, but beautiful nonetheless. I too love the clear water and palm trees. I'm a fair weather girl and proud of it.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day and weekend. :)
The paintings are really fun, especially the bottom one. You have such a great imagination. Oh, and you can paint too.
ReplyDelete"Sightings" beat me to it. I believe the only island I've visited was Manhattan and I, too, thought it was pretty exotic. Oh, wait. I made a trip to Seattle once and was on Vancouver Island, Whidbey Island and Bainbridge Island. No palm trees.
ReplyDeleteI also find the idea of a tiny tropical island the most relaxing thing I can imagine. Unfortunately, I live with someone who's claustrophobic and also suffers from bouts of island favor. Puerto Rico was too small for him!
ReplyDeleteI like the Isles of Scilly. A little group of islands, just off Lands End, England.
ReplyDeleteWas it you who taught Turner how to paint? :-)
I haven't been to an exotic island -- just the islands between Washington State and Victoria, B.C. I have always dreamed of owning an island. Serenity now.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Went to Sark, but it was not exotic, more stark and souless. I like the idea of escaping to a desert island though. White sand, lapping turqoise blue sea and coconut palms! Oh...and a nice cocktail in one hand and a good book in the other :)
ReplyDeleteThe most exotic islands for me were the Florida Keys. I want to go back. I could possibly imagine a brief vacation on a lonely, tropical, remote island. But then I'd need people, buildings, roads, stores, STUFF, around me again.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it nobody answers the question, "What would you want to bring if your were stranded on a remote, uninhabited island?" with, "A boat."
As a matter of fact I have been to some beautiful islands throughout the Caribbean and many of the islands that are part of the 700 plus islands that make-up the Bahamas chain of islands. As you may recall I scuba dive and for a number of years a group of friends and I would gather once a year in the last week of August, beginning of September and sail aboard one of the three Blackbeard vessels for a week of eat, sleep and dive from our sailed vessel. At night we would typically settle down on the leeward side of an island following our night dive. Most of these islands are uninhabited. The reefs we dove see little in the way of human contact and were usually quite pristine. A very dreamy week with a vessel setup for divers and a crew that did everything for us. On one trip we stopped at Bimini Island. You may recall a scene from Silence of the Lambs was done on this island. :)
ReplyDeleteNope! But your island caught my attention when I scrolled down to it. This is a piece that will make you think for a while.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting imagination. I've been to several Carribean Island and the Florida Keys. I like mountains more that islands. But maybe islands with mountains would be perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat last one is a rather creepy looking island, the kind that would give little kids nightmares. I, too, have been to the islands in the Pacific Northwest, but nothing tropical as you've described. I'm one of those oddballs who flies over beaches on their way to the cool, crisp, dry mountains. :)
ReplyDeleteS
i lived on an island for a while, trinidad. caribbean, so it sounds exotic. i quite liked it there.
ReplyDeleteI spent a lot of time on assignment in the Caribbean and south-Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Saint Lucia, Anguilla, Dominica, Bahamas, Saint Martin and we had a home on Sanibel Island, in the Gulf off the west coast of Florida. I love island life. Cuba is a beautiful and massive Island, Dominica was probably the most remote and unspoiled. Out here we really like Kauai.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors, and how the water and sky blend together in both paintings. They're beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteI lived on an island (if landfill counts), Alameda - near Oakland, for years. Loved it but still dream about living on a more exotic isle.
Now, I'm off to check-out your Birds and Bees post.
xoRobyn
For a minute I was sad after reading your post, thinking that I'd never been to an island. But not true! We honeymooned on Orcas Island just off of Seattle. We loved it! And I have never forgotten that feeling of living on Island Time.
ReplyDeleteHmm, too many years in Texas and Florida, I just crave the northern climes and all the wind whipped iciness of a brisk winter storm.
ReplyDeleteHey Stephen! I don't know if it's my computer or yours, but when I have pulled up your posts, I have have two posts that run together. It's not happening on anyone elses posts, just yours. For instance, it's Sunday morning and I'm trying to read about the kitty and right in the the middle (or end?) the post switches to the one about foot fetish. The same thing happened a day or two ago.. The kitty picture never comes up in the post. Totally wierd, but it's annoying me, since I can't see the whole post. Like I say, it's not cutting anyone else off, just yours.????????????
ReplyDeleteMy favourite island would have to be the Greek island of Skiathos.Such a laid-back place; the only holiday resort I've been where you check-in for your flight home, leave your luggage and then leave the airport to go to the taverna across the road for a few drinks while you wait for your flight to be called.
ReplyDelete