Seascape Artist

May 19 2007

Sun & Wind Protection and Comfort

Published by barbaraburns at 10:44 am under Beach

I’m planning ahead of what I need to take to the beach this summer. I sunburn easily and there is always wind at the beach so it is best to be prepared. Lotion and lip balm are necessary ingredients to a happy plein air painter in the summer heat and beach breezes. It is very important to be comfortable when painting at the beach - it is easy to get over-heated and ill if you do not plan ahead for shelter, water and shade here in Texas at the Gulf of Mexico.

I’m planning on taking my grandson and the dog at least once this summer to the beach … on the surface that doesn’t sound like a trip for painting does it?

Watercolor pencils are the secret for me - my grandson loves to use them too so we will both be sketching and painting out there at the beach. Yes we are going to fly kites too but with a 10 year old and a dog … we are not going to do that all day … there will be plenty of time to sit, rest, drink chilled water and paint in the shade as well as collect seashells from the sand at the edge of the water and fly those kites. I want this outing to be something that he & I will remember the rest of our lives as having a great time together.

The Gulf of Mexico is not water I want to get into but it is fun to dance with the tide - for me, that means staying just out of the water but seeing how close I can get without actually getting in it. I do not swim, so my grandson is not going to be allowed to go in the water anyway on a trip to the beach with me. No floats or pool toys either … I’ve seen people with them but those could be really dangerous - if the current or wind caught one, you could be out to sea rather quickly!

Since I’m taking both of them, I have been thinking about how best to give us some shade protection spending time there at the beach so we do not get roasted like lobsters and can get out of the sun when we need some relief from the sun/water glare - yes we are taking sunglasses and probably beach hats too but the glare in the afternoon especially can be horrendous in spite of wearing hats or sunglasses. I saw an ad in the newspaper for those portable shelters .. looks like it would cover a really large area and be hard for one grandma and her grandson to get it up and down easily at the beach. I was looking and over at Sunfitters, I saw the really pretty 6.5-ft. Sandblaster Instant Install Beach Umbrella (it’s in rainbow colors - that wouldn’t bother me but it might bother some people) and I also saw the most adorable shelter / tent - Portable 9-ft. Sun Shelter with SPF 50 Protection - I’m thinking I should show it to my daughter too - maybe she would like to get one for their trips to the park or fishing on the bayou behind their home - it looks very portable and easy to setup - maybe it would work for football practices and football games for them this fall too.

I really like the Welo Silk Sarong Pareo Beach Cover Up - it is gorgeous! I could hang it on the wall at home as a wall hanging if I didn’t want to ruin it wearing it at the beach in al the gritty sand … LOL … and yes I know I need to get us some beach towels too - I like both the Snorkeling Turtle and the Clown Fish beach towels. Very colorful!

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