New Jersey is lush in summer. Vines drape heavily over the trees and long river grass sway slowly in the canals. The sound of cicadas and crickets are so loud that the sound seems to fill everything, including me as I walk along the towpath. There are vegetable stands by the side of the roads and the farmer's markets are full every Friday morning. This is not the reputation outsiders hear about New Jersey but this is the Garden State I've gotten to know. I'll be freezing slices of locally-grown peaches for winter tonight.
It was so nice this past week that I finally set up a table on my balcony and brought out my encaustic painting supplies. This painting is a belated birthday present for my good friend, Moe, who enjoys camping with her husband, Shep. Gold leaf is fused into the wax and I like how the bits seem to float up and over the edge of the painting like burning embers floating into a night sky.
PS: Moe and her friend, Paula, are currently showing their paintings at The Dessert Plate in Somerville, New Jersey.
