During the summers of 1985 and 1986 I had a job on Martha’s Vineyard. I was Officer Corey, the littlest cop in Edgartown. The Vineyard Gazette even wrote an article about me. Somehow I befriended one of the traffic cops–I think his name Officer Mark, and another–officer Craig–who drove a squad car around. Every day my parents would take me downtown and I would stand on the corner with Mark. I learned the proper hand signals to direct traffic, and the cars followed my instructions. My grandmother, who was a wonderful songwriter in the days of wonderful songwriting, wrote a song about me. “Officer Corey’s on the job in Edgartown…”

It was as a junior junior cop that I fist recall that sinking feeling of being wrong. I recall someone asking me directions to the general store. I pointed them up Main Street, then, as soon as the man was out of sight, realized the store was down the street. I ran inside the t-shirt store and hid with my parents. Another time I got my traffic signals mixed up, and when I realized I dropped my arms and stood in a shadow. Fortunately Officer Mark was there.

This morning I finished my painting. I dabbed in some darks in the trees, ultramarine shadows on the buildings, and developed the water further. I recently got a Princeton Neptune #12, and used it for the first time today. A nice brush. I loved the quill I had already, but wanted a little more precision while keeping the looseness that these brushes engender. I liked it on the sail, where I tried to learn from John Singer Sargent’s “Melon Boats.” I found it helpful too when painting the sailors. To finish off the painting I scraped out the highlights and lines on the boat. This was a fun painting to do, and a good way to remember Edgartown. I have a few more in mind for this series, and a few more stories to go with them.

Thanks for reading.