THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER

Acrylic on  canvas, 30 x 15 IN.

There’s something about summer that screams sound, no matter the time of season.

A roar of anticipation with eager tourists swells airport travel. Grills hiss while primed for a fresh season of backyard barbecues. Swingsets clank as children find rhythm in  their little legs. Tides lap sunscorched beaches and sun-kissed, rosy cheeks. Soccer balls thump against cleated feet. Bats crack in echoes to cheering crowds, smelling of hot dogs and warm beer. Metal grinds against its piling while docks rock in waves made choppy by boats racing along waterways. Rollercoasters groan as they climb dizzying heights, then descend in a whirl with shrill applause. Bottomless mimosa brunches are refilled in laughter and floral dresses. Bug zappers sizzle as mosquitoes and June bugs chase the electric glow. Guides call out to crowded streets, ready to dust off history via walks along winding corridors. Free concerts in the park overflow with families, picnic blankets and the buzzing generators of food trucks. Cruiser rides turn into raucous bar crawls. Swimming pools explode in cannonballs launched from diving boards.

And, all of it is just a gentle cacophony to the true ooooohs and aaahhhhs of summer and childhood and adult nostalgia, when the sky is streaked in color, raining in imagination with a snap. Crackle. Pop!