Salty Dog

“Salty Dog” is a painting that resulted from one of several trips to Newfoundland, my mother's birthplace. My sister and I were walking on the pebbled beaches of Trepassey, along the southern shores of the Avalon Peninsula when this hound made a friendly approach, wagging his tail. He made it clear that he wanted something, but he wouldn’t come any closer; he ran to the water, then back again, to us. With a flash of insight, I picked up one of the many stones on the beach & threw it out into the water – & he joyfully plunged in. It was exactly what he wanted! These are the experiences that make paintings.