YOURSELF ISLAND

IT'S AN EASY PLACE TO BE SEVEN QUIET WAYS TO PASS THE DAY AWAY

BY ERIKA TRACY

HAVE A SEAT. 0 2 EAT FRESH.

Fillin' up fresh is easy when you're minutes away from the waters where dinner resides. Spend the day angling for your own fresh catch or just fish for fun and swing by Skinner's Seafood for oysters, crabs, scallops or shrimp from their steamer take out menu.

Do what the wildlife do. Pull up a chair alongside the coast or prop yourself against the rocks by the bay and enjoy the scenery a while. Flowing water, crashing waves, commuting boats and soaring birds are all in motion to keep your eye occupied while your mind wanders.

LOOK UP. 0 3

A host of shorebirds make up a good portion of the island's feathered population. However, an even larger population, often-rare birds call the Dauphin Island Audubon Sanctuary home during the March to May migration season. The easy pathways and boardwalk offer views of lily pad ponds, turtles, alligators and more, but the real sights to be seen are high along the eastern shoreline where osprey nests captivate visitors.

Two-wheeled transportaion is a packing essential for a stay on Dauphin Island. Pedal along the well-maintained bike path that spans a good portion of its entire 14-mile length. (The island is less than two miles wide.) Roadside views of beaches, bird sanctuaries and local art stops are worth the extra effort for stop-and-go entertainment. 0 4 TAKE A RIDE.

Tentacles, stingers and eyeballs, oh my! They're all sights to see up close at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, home to Alabama's Marine Research and Education Center and more than 100 sea-dwelling species. The 6,400-gallon touch-tank holding a variety of rays and skates is a hands-on highlight, but don't miss the more than 30 aquariums in the exhibit hall full of fascinating animals you may never have seen—and especially not eye-to-eye.

0 6 GO BACK IN TIME.

“Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” Cannons and tunnels from historic Fort Gaines, established in 1821, remain intact for visitors to explore. Additional artifacts offer insight into the fort's role in the Battle of Mobile Bay. Civil War history isn't the only thing on display —the vantage point also offers sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay.

Float

Go back in time.

The wildlife are giving you a queue. Pull up a chair alongside the XX coast or prop yourself amongst the rocks of the bay and enjoy the scenery a while. Flowing water, crashing waves, communting vessels and more are all in motion to keep your eye occupied while your mind wanters. 0 7 AWAY.

A ride across Mobile Bay is more than a short cut to Fort Morgan. It's 40 minutes of engines off and senses on. Passengers can hop on one of the Dauphin Island ferries which run year-round on a firstcome basis (with or without your vehicle). The scenic ride in open water is another great perch for bird-watching and sea life.

FAITH-FILLED

After struggling with infertility and multiple miscarriages and dealing with ultimately successful but difficult pregnancies, Sylacauga artist Vaughan Pursell Spanjer turned her pain into art, drawing multiple versions of the image that was representative of the faith she was relying on to make it through. “During a pregnancy scare my mother sent me a framed sketch of Jesus holding a lamb close to His heart.” Spanjer said. Her mother included a note: “He’s got you. And He’s got your little one. As well as the ones you’ve lost.” That lamb took up residence in her mind, and sketching sheep and lambs with charcoal was her start. Next, she experimented with watercolors, and soon notecards of her work were selling in stores around the Southeast. Today, she renders the birds, trees, plants and other animals she sees around her at Pursell Farms, the resort her family owns and where she and husband and children live, in charcoal, acrylic, oil and watercolor, with watercolor. She believes her talent is a divine-given gift, one she shares with others. "Being able to use and steward these gifts brings me joy as it is bringing joy to those who take it in or purchase it,” she said.

vaughanpursellspanjer.com

George Taylor

George Taylor has been an artist since birth, always drawing throughout childhood, but only officially took on the title later in life. “The Monday after Thanksgiving in 1989 I quit my job at an Atlanta CPA firm to finally be an artist. I simply couldn’t stand not painting anymore,” he said. His paintings (usually rendered in oil) often focus on pastoral subjects. “My ideas usually come from daily life, often involving seasonal things or scenes I see that strike me visually and speak to me psychologically,” he said. So much of my work is about rural seasonal subjects, be it crops, produce, or just the way the landscape looks at a certain time of year.” While he enjoys the creation of his art career, he also loves engaging with others at large art festivals around the South. “Combine a large solo show, a road trip, a camping trip and a state fair with a deep sea fishing trip and that’s what they’re like,” he said.

Art Unbound

When it comes to creating, Montgomery artist Katie Reifenberg Pinson doesn’t stay inside the lines, literally or figuratively. When she was a budding artist, she’d put her passion anywhere. “As a child, I spent my time in church drawing on the programs. At home, if there were crayons in reach, then the walls might get a makeover,” she said. She began painting more regularly 10 years ago, using the activity to help her relieve stress. Then a family member asked her to paint a dog portrait, and Katherine Reifenberg Art was born. Ranging from bold, bright florals to more subdued but still strong abstracts her works don’t fit in any box. “I don’t abide by any rules. I just choose vivid colors and whimsical designs because I love the fun energy they give,” she said. Today, she mostly uses acrylic paints, but she’s been dipping into other media too: acrylic markers and watercolors and mixing them with around-the-house supplies like white-out and hi-liters. “I have lymphedema due to surgery for breast cancer. Because of the swelling and nerve pain, it is often difficult for me to use my hand for long periods,” she said. “These mixed media scribbles are easier for me to do because I can finish them quickly.”

Follow Your Heart

Kay Sasser Jacoby lets her imagination guide her work; her hand follows the lead of her heart in a style called “intuitive painting.”

"When I begin a painting, I’m never quite sure how it will end up,” she said. In her mixed media paintings —acrylic paint, pastel, graphite and ink—sometimes on paper and sometimes on canvas, shapes, lines and colors all converge to create an expression of Jacoby’s musings and feelings from a given moment. But her work doesn’t just capture an attitude, it can change it too. “I love how creating can transform me out of or into a mood or thought process,” she said. “And it makes me happy when people connect with what I’ve created enough to purchase it and live with it in their homes. That’s quite a compliment and much appreciated."

@kaysasserjacoby