Green Harbor Beach - 6AM

I usually walk first thing in the morning, as early as possible, and each day I think, I should be painting this stunning scene.  On this day, I put painting ahead of my morning walk.    It was just before 6 AM and the sun had been up for 40 minutes already.  I needed to walk further down toward Burke's Beach because the area across from me was covered in decomposing red seaweed - not so pleasant.

Ease Set Up Green Harbor 6AM

It was June and sunrise was at its most northern relative point.   This meant if I wanted to paint Duxbury Beach in the distance, the sun would be on my canvas, something I have always avoided, sometimes using an umbrella.  

A nugget from Richard Schmid popped into my head.    "You want the same light on your subject, your palette, and your canvas."    If that is true, (how could it not be if Richard Schmid said it?) and I shaded my canvas, my canvas would not be in sync with palette and scene.   Happy to have rationalized this, I decided I didn't have to trudge back to the house and get a sun umbrella.

Actually looking at the photo to the right where the top clamp is shading the canvas, the color looks very different, couple of values darker and almost greenish blue.

Often in the morning there is a lavender bank of clouds that sits at the horizon line like in this scene.  It was low tide such that more sand was exposed and receiving full sun on the further edges of Duxbury Beach, so it needed to be painted more brightly.   The blue hill in the distance beyond the beach was Plymouth.   In surveying the scene, I was thinking that the red seaweed looked kind of pretty, providing sharper contrast. I had initially decided that I wouldn't include it because of how terrible it looks and smells in person.  I might change my mind yet.  For now, this is what I painted at the beach that day.

Green Harbor Red Seaweed

It's one week later.   The seaweed on the beach is now rancid and the town has responded to resident complains by bringing in heavy machinery to remove it.   We have never seen the seaweed so bad for so long.  The problem was even covered on the local Boston evening news.  I decided that I would honor reality and paint it in.

So what is my center of interest?  I'm supposed to know that from the start (I didn't) and highlight it (I didn't) using sharper edges, more intense color, leading in - some technique like that.   I haven't decided yet.   It's still a work in progress.    Although there may be no salvaging this one.

Any suggestions?