“Klein Kniepp” 11 x 13 oil:wood by Casey Chalem Anderson
My family never did traditional vacations—no Disneyworld or Caribbean resorts. Those trips were too corny and expensive for my parents, who considered themselves far too hip for that. I always felt like I was missing out, I wanted to be “normal”, conventional. We did get to travel places like California, Colorado, and Cape Cod where my parents had friends . When I was a little older my Dad built a house in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Naturally he wanted an off-the-beaten-path location. I got to spend a part of winter checking out the beaches, then we would try our best to find food at the local supermarket where shockingly all the chicken was frozen. We’d go back to the house and cook it, my father was delighted. At night we played poker on the porch using dried pasta as chips. Nice but certainly not the luxurious vacation of a top resort.
My boyfriend Bill and I just returned from Curacao, a vibrant blend of resort luxury, turquoise beaches, and a sobering history as a center of the transatlantic slave trade. Walking through town, I learned about the horrors of the 300-year slave trade that shaped the island. But the days also offered moments of serenity: mornings began with fresh coffee and made-to-order omelets and spicy ginger green drinks. Our leisurely breakfast was followed by a rhythm of swimming laps in the ultramarine pool, diving into the lush turquoise sea, then back to the pool again.
We explored the “floating market” where small Venezuelan boats unload colorful fruits, sipped fresh coconut water hacked open with a machete. Later I snorkeled among iridescent fish in chest-high water right in front of our hotel. I even swam at a pristine beach where wild pigs lounged. The evenings brought jazz by the water, sticky ribs, and fireworks lighting up the distant sky.
It was everything I craved as a child and now at an age where I could truly appreciate all of it. And as soon as I could, while the memories of being completely engulfed in liquid turquoise were vivid, I made this small painting.
In Connecticut at George Billis Gallery I’m showing a mix of my small abstracts and seascapes
Happy Holidays!!!
Casey
