Technology vs. the Galapagos

Galapagos Sea Lion – Work in progress on 1/4 sheet of Arches 140# coldpress

The husband and I finally got rid of our 20 year old, 200 pound Sony Trinitron. We got a Samsung LED, LCD, HD, IRT something-or-other flat screen.  When Time Warner Rat Bastard Cable (TWRBC) came to hook everything up they told us the best way to use the new remote was to press the “system” button which would easily turn on the cable and TV at the same time.

PANTS ON FIRE!!!!! 

Remember when you would press the button on your the TV and it would just come on? I press the system button and nothing happens.  Samsung’s TV has a red light that goes ON when the TV is OFF!   This is completely counter-intuitive.   (Note to self, write a scathing letter to Samsung telling them about their epic failure.)  I press the system button again. The TV goes on and the cable box goes off.  I press system button again and the TV goes off and the cable box goes on.  Finally I turn them on individually and think about how much I hate TWRBC.

Now to my cell phone.  I recently got an iPhone 5 with 4G.   Unfortunately, I discovered that my apartment does not have 4G.  It has NO G.   Zero G. Nothing, nada, zip G.

The reason I’m telling you this is because in the Galapagos there was no TV, no phones, no cell service, no internet, no wifi, no nothing!   Just sea lions and sting rays and orcas and blue-footed boobies dive bombing the water.   Penguins and frigate birds and sharks and brightly colored fish and fur seals and lots and lots and lots of iguanas.  Land iguanas.  Marine iguanas.  And more sea-lions.   Ahhhhhhh.

On my first day back to work I get to the subway to discover the trains are delayed because of signal problems.  When a train finally arrives I get on and we are going jauntily along until we stop and sit at a station.  We sit and sit and sit.  Finally the conductor announces we are delayed due to police action at the next stop.  I think to myself  “there was no police action in the Galapagos”.

Which now brings me to my painting.  Here’s a sea lion on the beach.  He was sleepy and sandy and beautiful.  There is a young girl who has been coming to our studio.  She is 11.  Her name is Isabella and is another Matisse!  She is an inspiration and her work is wonderful and beautiful. Loose and free. I started this painting keeping young Isabella in mind.

I hope to post more paintings from my trip soon.  Thanks for your visit.