Happy Spring!

"Guardian of the Wetlands"
Watercolor, 8" x 18"
©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

My husband and I own a home on the wetlands of the Jersey shore.  It's a beautiful, quiet place where friends and family gather every summer.  We've spent many summer nights facing the wetlands from our porch enjoying the sunset with a brandy or glass of wine.

Last fall Superstorm Sandy came roaring up the east coast and made a left turn right into our little town. Watching it approach from tv broadcasts, horrified at the shear size and power of it, we thought we'd never see the place again.  The ocean and the bay actually met, leaving the entire island under water. We were lucky.  We had our share of clean up but our damage was nothing compared to what neighboring areas had to and still deal with.

This little rusty garden angel and her American flag stood in the area bordering the wetlands in front of our house.  One sunny day last year I went out and took her picture for a future painting.  It became something else after the storm.  It means something to come back after Sandy and amazingly see her still standing.  Her flag was gone but later found in the debris.

So this little painting is not the fine art piece I usually do but an illustration depicting the wetlands and it's occupants coming back in every sense.  Her flag is replaced. The first flowers of Spring, the crocus, have sprung.  A turtle cautiously crawls out of the wetlands.  An Osprey flies overhead with it's catch of the day.  A rabbit explores while a frog and a fox peep through the reeds.  The NJ state bird, the Goldfinch, and the State insect, the honey bee make an appearance.

And in the distance the stately egret and the seagulls roost in the wetlands.

I have a little more work to do on it.  Mostly picking out sunny hightlights in the reeds and surrounding subjects.  But since the weather here is so cold and gloomy today, I wanted to pop in some Spring a little early.  Enjoy!

Sunset over the wetlands from our porch.

Our neighborhood under water after the surge.

 The Angel's flag found in the debris and put in place by Jenni.