Artist Statement: It was a summer night over fifty years ago just like this one pictured in the painting. My father and I were walking the beach. Such a beautiful night with the moon glistening on the waves and wet sand. A flashlight was not needed. Suddenly we saw a large dark mass coming from the sea. A loggerhead turtle moved slowly up the shore to dry sand. We quietly watched from a distance.
She began to dig so slowly, left flipper, right flipper - moving the sand out and away until there was a large body pit for her to lie in. Her back flippers began to dig deeper building a warm nest in the sand. She then began to lay her eggs. I crept slowly from behind to watch, making sure I did not disturb her. So many soft eggs.
She then began to cover her nest and body pit until it was no longer obvious that she had laid her eggs there. She turned and slowly headed back into the ocean. Her eyes filled with tears.
Legend says she cries for her unborn young which will have many obstacles to overcome. The eggs may be eaten by animals such as raccoons; the hatchlings may be picked up by the seabirds or attacked by ghost crabs. If they do not quickly arrive at the water, they will die of dehydration. They get caught in fishing nets; by boat motor propellers and are eaten by other sea life. Only a few will survive to adulthood. Actually, her tears are expelling excess salt and sand from her eyes.
The memory of that night shared with my dear father is permanently etched into my mind. I am thankful for that.
Bio: Jeanne Harris Weaver, a two-dimensional artist, paints primarily in oils at her condo on the ocean in Cocoa Beach Florida. Of her vocation, Jeanne says "Painting is the recording of the world, its environment and humanity through my eyes, my senses, my spirit. When that expressions touches another’s soul, the worth is great."
Jeanne’s primary interest has always been to paint the sea and its environment. In recent years, her interests have expanded to painting portraits and specific paintings for her church, St. David’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Cocoa Beach. She donates many paintings for auctions and other such events which raise money for charities and missions which her church supports.
Also, an author of Losing Todd: A Mother’s Journey produced and published by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary, Jeanne was awarded an honorary degree in 2017 from the college for her book and the paintings within it honoring the life of 1LT Todd William Weaver, killed in action in Afghanistan on September 9, 2010.
Jeanne’s work is a reflection of God’s presence in her life. She hopes others can sense His presence in her works.
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