Green Harbor - North Pier Construction In Progress



Green Harbor Pier - Stage One

This painting was done on a Sunday morning when the construction of the new Green Harbor Pier was inactive.   What isn't visible is the unsightly scene to our immediate left, a collection of rubble, steel girders, and backhoes taller than the average person (and much taller than me).   Although the left was ugly, it formed a barrier from the usual wide open parking lot.  The rest of the scene was scenic.  The only evidence of construction included in the painting was the orange boom used to - what is it used for? - shield the water from something.   I'll come back to that.



Green Harbor Pier - Stage Two

The link at the bottom is an article from the local paper describing the new pier.    From my perspective, it sounds like a future paint-out spot is under construction!

The day felt muggy, and that itself was a clue as to how muted the more distant painting elements should be.   When it is humid, the moisture in the air affects the visual clarity of everything around us.   The further away something is, the more moisture there is to look through.    The visual effect of the moist atmosphere makes things look lighter and cooler.   This painting will not look too cool however, because the underpainting was bright orange, which shows through in some places, including the shore across from us. 

After the actual paint out, and back in the studio, I needed to decide who or what to place in the blank spot standing on the pier.   The tide was quite low so rather than inserting a person fishing, I decide on a fisherman dragging a bin with his black lab looking on.

Okay, back to the orange boom:  According to Wikipedia, "A containment boom is a "temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill. Booms are used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to help make recovery easier."   

There are several boom tactics in the boom descriptions as well.    Its not clear how the orange boom in my painting scene works since, at low tide, it crimps up creating gaps on the water.   Anybody know?

For more on the pier construction, visit the following link:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/marshfield/newsnow/x1651957184/Marshfield-pier-project-to-get-underwayMarshfield —

".... the project includes construction of a 95-foot bulkhead,  a mini seawall behind the pier as well as a 40 by 4 foot gangway providing access to new floats ...  new skiff docks measuring 6 by 30 feet also are installed."

Green Harbor North Pier

Plymouth Harbor

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 1

Autumn is a popular time for travel to New England, and judging by today's scene in Plymouth, this year is no different.   Busses full of visitors unloaded and the glorious weather allowed locals and tourists alike to enjoy the waterfront.

It started out quite cool and breezy, and I had to rethink where I set up.   I moved to a spot where there was a boulder and some shrubs that blocked the wind.   In my viewfinder, there were multiple interesting planes looking east from the furthest shoreline (Duxbury), to mid-distance (Clark Island and Long Beach) and closer (Plymouth Jetty).

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 2

I marked where the three boats I planned on including would be placed.    The closest boat was a sharp looking white boat with dual outboard motors.   The next was a smaller pleasure boat equipped with fishing gear.  The furthest of the trio was a green lobster boat.

The sky was pale blue, a strong contrast with the deep blue of the harbor and outer bay.   A realistic use of blue can really distinguish a painting.   Blue out of the tube is seldom, if ever, a perfect match.   I like to start with some cobalt and ultramarine blue for deep blue color water like today's scheme.   I got a generous amount on my palette knife or brush, then held it up to compare against the water's color.   I gradually added a transparent brown oxide to the blue combo until the color on my brush was a good match. I am always surprised at how grey the color becomes before it is close in color to the blue water in front of me.    I started with a darker value than the actual value.   That was because when I topped off the water's ripples with a scumble, I could use a lighter blue over it for better choppy texture and contrast.

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 3

Finally, I squinted at the many boats that were moored along the harbor toward the jetty.   My squinting at it reduced the detail to a random series of white marks which I attempted to reproduce in front of my painting's jetty.

So here is the effort so far.   Before I put it on my website, I will let it sit for a few days.   It may be a little too gray.

Powder Point Bridge from Duxbury Beach

Underpainting

It was a cloudless cobalt blue sky today with a cool gusty wind.   I drove my "plein-air-mobile" over the Powder Point Bridge to Duxbury Beach.   No beach stickers or parking fees this time of year, which makes it the perfect time to paint this lovely spot.    I parked the car so that it would block the cool Canadian winds present this day.



I set up facing west so that the Powder Point Bridge would enter the painting from the left, and end just past the midpoint of the canvas.   The furthest horizon on the left was South Duxbury with the Miles Standish Monument.    On the other side of the bridge, St. George Street begins, and where there is a small white house with a pseudo lighthouse structure (painted with lavender).   If you look closely, you can also see the small red boathouse (painted with alizarin/cobalt).

Stray Bristles

As I applied paint for the foreground grasses with one of my larger brushes - what I had considered a good brush - I noticed a couple of bristles coming loose.   Before I yanked them out, I used them to apply a few strands of dry grass along the shore.  Fine grass strands this small are totally unnecessary and usually evoke criticism, but I felt like doing it, so I did.

Powder Point Bridge from Duxbury Beach - Stage 1

For the sky, I blended prussian blue with cobalt blue to match the fair weather skies.    Although the sky above was a deep blue, the water was not the same intensity, probably influenced by the relatively shallow depths that cover mud and sand. To achieve the water color, I used the sky color but added a small amount of transparent oxide brown, which brought the intensity down a notch (more like a warm gray.)





Powder Point Bridge from Duxbury Beach - Stage 2

Large rocks line the parking lot perimeter.   Upon closer inspection, these boulders actually seemed to contain many colors, so I used my palette knife to scoop up some pale blue, pink, naples yellow and then thickly frosted it on the boulders.  Ribbons of these pastel shades are visible in the thick paint, and I left them that way.

Here is the "not quite finished" version.  Final version will be on my website within a couple of weeks.


Kick Start

Audubon in September

It's been three weeks since my last blog, the longest stretch without an entry since its inception in October 2011.       My list of subjects for paintings has just grown exponentially since returning from magical Ireland.   Expect an extended period of Ireland inspired scenes in the months to come.   Those images are screaming to be captured in oil.   Why I'm not jumping into it, I don't know.   Maybe the ideas
need to percolate for a bit.

Meanwhile, here is a small 8 x 10 inch warm up done "en plein air" at the Green Harbor Audubon a couple of days ago.   The light was bright and warm and the shadows were cool blue.  September's influence can be seen in the grasses that are tipping over and turning to straw.