The Quahogger on a Special Canvas

Quahogger Stage 1

I often recycle canvases, painting over a previous work, and I have read that many painters have done it throughout the ages..    I recently was given a rather large canvas by a good friend, advocate and art expert.    She had received it from a phenomenal artist who is now unable to paint due to illness.  The canvas had been gessoed over and was ready to be reused.

I found this painter's work online and spent some time studying it.   I learned that this multi-faceted, multi-styled artist has won hundreds of awards for his stunning and inspirational pieces.  His creativity, exuberance and ingenuity came shining through as I combed over each one.



Quahogger Stage 2

I am truly humbled to have been given this canvas to recycle.  As I began to design my painting, I was thinking how important it was that this painting be my best to honor the generosity, as well as the caliber of the person whose painting was just a layer beneath the thick white gesso that sat in front of me.

I decided to make "The Quahogger" be the subject.   I have seen this fellow often over the years and have occasionally taken pictures of him and his cart, thinking that one day, I would paint him in action.    I took several photos of the painting development along the way.




Quahogger Stage 3
 

Quahogger Stage 4



Quahogger Stage 5



Quahogger Stage 6

Quahogger Stage 7



Quahogger Stage 8

When the tide is especially low, the man emerges from the first Duxbury Beach crossover and makes his way to water's edge.   One hand stays on the cart which he drags behind.  The other fist grips his long handled clam rake.   As he strides along he taps the wet sand with the butt end of the rake.   He watches for a squirt or punge mound.   A squirt means the clam is close to the surface of the sand and a punge is the sign that there is something there, but he may have to dig a bit deeper, since it didn't expunge.

On the day I took this photo, the surf was up with tiers of waves breaking simultaneously close to the shore and further out.   Waves and wind like this make the beach is almost deafening.  The pale cobalt blue sky was the dominant blue in the water, but further out in deeper waters it looked like there was some ultramarine hints mixed in.   Closer to the shore, and between the breakers the buff colored sand slants the cobalt blue toward a more greenish hue.   I downplayed the green and decided to play up the orange tint of the sand filled surf.   I worked the reflections right along with the local colors.

As for quahogger, he had a bright blue jacket and khaki colored pants.   His dark reddish complexion revealed hours spent in the bright light of the beach.  His hair was white, but in the shadows it is depicted as a dark blue-gray.   On a canvas as large as this, his dark silhouette and reflection makes a strong statement in the bright light of the beach. 

I'm close to being done.   As this was a major piece due to the size (30" x 40"), I would appreciate your very critical feedback.



The Quahogger Final