Corner of the Dock

Picture Perfect Spot for a Paint Out

Corner of the Dock

I returned to the site of Engine One, at Bluefish River in Duxbury,MA.   I've painted here a few times and although it was absolutely gorgeous, I was looking to paint something different than a shimmery sailboat with gentle waves making stunning reflections! If you paint a lot, you probably understand.   The photo shows the scene; so pretty, and it was great just to be there!

One Gold Leaf

I chose the dock - just the corner of the dock. The surface was in warm light, but it also was being influenced by the deep blue sky.   The resulting color was a lavender shade.   The side planes of the dock looked the brightest.   There was some yellow and a warm weathered wood color.  Its reflection was a warm green with some gold.      The underside of the dock could not be seen, but its reflection was visible - a deep blue-green.   The rope shadows were a deep blue, and the rope was bright and warm.   I worked on all the geometric elements.   It looked very abstract and almost not recognizable well into the painting process.  I didn't work on the prime center of interest until I was back in the studio.  The center of interest was a bright yellow maple leaf.   So amid the glory of this picturesque spot, what got top billing was a single gold leaf.    This post was started when the topic was the corner of the dock and that was interesting but felt dull.  The painting may not capture the motion, but this leaf was perched high on the water, probably still a little dry and practically dancing and twirling along with the ebb tide.