Cloudy Claflin Landing

Beached Boats in Chatham

I was on my way to an art lecture on Cape Cod and decided to head down extra early so that I could paint.   Claflin Road is a offshoot of scenic Shore Road in Chatham, MA - quiet, beautiful, and no parking restrictions.  The harbormaster and local walkers seemed to most use the path as their beach access.     Right away I noticed some plump seals perched on their sand bar and I was tempted to quickly start a painting of them.   That temptation didn't last as the tide was rising so quickly that the seals were gone within ten minutes.   A classic - and less volatile - subject caught my attention.   These dinghies and kayaks were much closer than the seals, and made a serene picture under the cloudy skies.   I used a generous amount of quick dry white with an ever-so-small amount of naples yellow, cadmium red and cobalt blue, to create the cloudy sky.  The strokes of sky color was applied with a palette knife.   The threads of color barely show up in the photo, but they are plenty noticeable in person.

Claflin Landing - Stage One Horizon Line

Claflin Landing - Stage Two - A Few Sprinkles Starting

About an hour had gone by when I felt raindrops.   I retrieved my large patio umbrella with the broken spokes.  It worked well enough to keep the easel, painting and palette from getting too wet as I finished up and packed.  As I loaded the painting into my vehicle, relaxed and satisfied, I thought, "this painting is somewhat dull."  Back in the studio under full light, I changed my mind.   It really captures the day, and is a product of standing in a gorgeous spot doing what I love to do - the primary goal of plein air painting!

VIEW FINISHED PAINTING