By Cindy Andes
Last summer, our family planned an overnight at a hotel on the Bayfront Landing of Lake Erie, in Erie, Pennsylvania, a short drive from where we live. In the lobby/dining room of our hotel, was a large, three- foot photograph of a seagull — or rather just the legs of the seagull. While I have enjoyed watching the antics of seagulls on both lake shores and Atlantic ocean beaches, I found this focused perspective both amusing and inspirational.
After my granddaughter posed for a photo under the commercial print, I was inspired to play with this image using other media. The results, far smaller than the original, were done in fabric, acrylic paints and watercolor. The fabric rendition was the most fun, as I created those knobby knees using pipe cleaners and scrunched up marbleized fabric, left over from a previous quilt challenge. All three pieces now reside in my little beach house in Surf City. Although I don’t see many seagulls with pink legs on our beaches, the art pieces continue to make me smile.
