"Let us be grateful to the artists whose works make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Modified from Marcel Proust
This past week, I have noticed dark coming more swiftly in the evening and languishing longer each morning. Even as our temperatures hover at 90 midday, nightfall dips below 70. Our usual barometers of impending seasonal change are nowhere to be found this year: no students on campus or in town, no school buses on area roads, no last minute shoppers in search of crayons, notebooks and paper. As Summer prepares to take a last deep breath, we need to relish in its bounty, appreciate its gifts and squeeze every last drop out of this extraordinary season!
In summer’s final act, fresh vegetables and fruit from local farms are ripened and bursting with succulence. Every local farm stand is laden with a cornucopia of colorful squashes, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes…sooner rather than later pumpkins will take occupancy next to the melons. Just as the sunflowers, daisies, and geraniums of summer lose their luster; potted purple cabbages, golden hued chrysanthemums, and periwinkle pansies beg to be planted extending the season. Our beloved Chester River crustacean is fat, heavy and plentiful taunting our mallets and steam pots. Sunsets seem more intense as the skies seem draped in shades of gold. Summer allowed us to escape Covid’s captivity, briefly and sporadically. Sunshine beaconed us to walk in the park, warm breezes invited us to go biking on trails, and hot, sultry days enticed us into the water and for those moments we laughed, we had fun, we felt safe, we felt normal!
We have been here before and we know September’s grandeur is fleeting as falling leaves are a mere five weeks away…and we know what follows. To get back to that happy place of summer, step into an art gallery. When you gaze at a painting, shut your eyes and feel its poetry. Capture the warmth of the sunny day on your shoulders, inhale the briny smell of marsh grasses that hug our creeks, shiver from the evening breezes off the ocean and breathe deeply the sweet fragrance of nature’s bouquet…each piece of art is both a memory and a dream. A painting can help you transcend time, place and even the chaos of our lives!
To find your garden, your beach and your summer, please visit our gallery in Chestertown or shop virtually at www.lespoissonsgallery.com