ART OF CRUISING THE CARIBBEAN -3

"The art of seeing nature is a thing almost as much to be acquired as the art of reading Egyptian hieroglyphics." -Constable

BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS It is one of the few Caribbean islands solely colonized by one nation, England. No wonder, you'll hear English names like Worthy and Hastings or that you find a Trafalgar Square here. But look around and you'll know you're not in London. Barbados is rich and fertile tropical fields meet a glistening azure sea.

JOHN CONSTABLE was a leading English landscape painter. He is known mainly for his paintings of the rural areas of Southern England. Constable emphasized such environmental features as the appearance of the sky and clouds, and the effects of lights and shadow on the landscape. He believed such features in a painting reflected nature accurately. Constable fresh style influenced the Impressionist painters. Constable used vivid colors in many of his earlier paintings. After his wife died, he painted a number of dark, moody pictures that reflected his depression. There is no other artist more qualified to be our imaginary tour guide of Barbados than Constable. Let's trust his artistic eyes, so we can see natural landscapes at its best.

B.........................BEAUTIFUL
A........................ATTRACTIVE, ALIVE, ALLURING

R........................REJUVENATING

B........................BATHING BEAUTY

A........................ARTISTIC

D........................DELIGHTFUL

O........................OLD-FASHIONED
S........................SPECTACULAR

BEAUTIFUL BRIDGETOWN With colorful buildings. this small downtown will transport you to Trafalgar Square in London. Sometimes called "England in the Caribbean." This town is graced with such sights as Heroes Square and the Houses of Parliament. But it's the vibrant Caribbean colors that makes this island beautiful to the eyes.

ATTRACTIVE BARBADOS LANDSCAPE This attractive rural setting will get your attention and inspire you to start painting like the Impressionists artists. The Impressionist don't see and paint things as they are, but as how they feel about it. You don't have to be as skillful as Constable. You can paint like the impressionist. Paint what you feel.

ALIVE! What will make you feel more alive in this island? Not Starbucks coffee! But swaying palms and colorful Caribbean beach towels with vibrant patterns and prints. Think bold colors - deep orange, red, blue, purple and green. All these palette of colors are not imaginary. Just look around you and you'll see naturally bold colors dancing everywhere. Bright colors send the eyes dancing and the heart pumping.

REJUVENATING SUNSET Nothing is more rejuvenating to the body, soul and spirit than basking in the colorful glow of a legendary Caribbean sunset. This, I thought, is what Heaven is like, a vast expanse filled with beauty. Everywhere, I looked, my vision was filled with dizzying array of orange and yellow in every shade, tint, gleaming in a kaleidoscope of dazzling sunset color.

BATHING BEAUTY Oh beautiful! Just beautiful! This beguiling huge rock is named after a beautiful woman named BATHSHEBA. If you remember your Bible story, Bathsheba was the bathing beauty that made King David fall into sin. You'll feel good when you look at "Bathsheba" but men "Beware!"

ARTISTIC ROCK This artistic, natural rock is created by Mother Nature. Not even Michelangelo can create something like this.

DELIGHTFUL OCEAN VIEW This is a real gem you won't want to miss, and become part of the delightful cutting-edge seascape. Many of the beautiful views shown on my blog were photographed by my husband. This view is taken 800 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. My husband is not an artist but has a good photographic eyes. Photography is one of his hobbies. With practice he is able to capture, delightful Barbados landscapes and seascapes in just few seconds. Its ironic that it took Constable months or years to paint his many English landscapes. During his time, there was no digital camera yet.

OLD-FASHIONED CHURCH Visited and discovered St. John's Church perched 800 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. This old church reminded us of Westminster Abbey in London. This is a mini-version of that great cathedral. Like the Abbey this very old church has tombs inside and is surrounded with grave yards. It looks creepy if not for the beautiful ocean view below.

OLD-FASHIONED GRAVEYARD This graveyard is artistically landscaped with creepy-looking trees. I wonder why artist don't paint graveyards.

SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF THE CARIBBEAN FROM BARBADOS This spectacular view of sky and sea is a nice stand-in for a Constable painting without the palm tree and a ship. Although this is not a Constable painting, the setting truly inspired me. There are other ways to be inspired but for me the SEA is number one. The place I feel more serene and relax are always by the sea.

PARTING THOUGHT: I read a story about a man who picked up an old, dried-out starfish. With great care he put it back in the sea. He said, "Oh, its just dried out but when it gets moisture again, it's going to come back to life." Many times, we get to the point where we sort of dry out, and all we need is a little more moisture to get started again. For me, after a cruise and seeing vast ocean, I am raring to get back to my easel, paintbrushes and writing. My creative juices started flowing again.