Sunny Day at the Beach

Wet Sandy Beach

This painting was done on a beautiful day last April.   For some reason, I didn't finish it at that time, nor did I publish the blog post.   I pulled the painting out this week and gave it a critique.   I tweaked it a bit, and here is the blog.  I think I am longing for a day like this, given it is 3 degrees outside right now.

What a glorious April day!   I wore my long down coat even still - just to be sure I was warm enough, but it was very pleasant.   The tide was dead low and the glossy wet sand stretched a long distance out to the shoreline at Burke's Beach in Green Harbor

My set up in the wet sand - or should I say - quick sand - was a challenge.  I had filled a plastic bag with wet sand and used a bungy to weight down the easel because of the strong wind.   The extra weight caused the easel legs to sink into the wet sand.   I countered that problem by placing flat rocks under each leg which slowed down the sinking.   Plein air on a wet and windy beach has its challenges!

I had quite a few visitors, others who were also enjoying the early Spring teaser.   A surprising number of grandparents with children came by.   Children playing nearby provided some figure ideas, and I even included them, but then wiped them off a couple of times.    A ten year old girl was spinning and spinning to make herself dizzy.  The littlest boy was digging happily, not really seeming to be looking for anything in particular, but rather just to have the wet sand oozing through his little hands.

In the end, I elected to include some rocks, yes, just rocks.  The Duxbury Beach shoreline is far in the distance, Plymouth Hills beyond that, as well as the (barely visible) Gurnet Lighthouse.