Kayaks in the Underbrush

Kayaks in the Underbrush

Kayaks in the Underbrush Roughed In

Jacob's Pond is a pretty fresh water spot in Norwell, MA.   We've been there many times, both for small hikes and plein air paint-outs.   The far northwest corner of the pond boasts a picturesque, curvy wooden bridge, complete with turtles, frogs and waterlilies. Why you could convince yourself that you were in rural Vermont, when in reality it is three blocks from congested Route 53.   

Even though the main subjects are warm colors, the light scheme is cool light, warm shadows.   If you are interested in this concept, watch for my upcoming painting class, where we will cover it.

The painting was done en plein air while standing on the bridge.  The following clip is (almost) 360 degrees of where I was standing.

https://youtu.be/HRoG6G1TR_U

Grassy Side of the Harbor

Grassy Side of the Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One side of this Scituate waterfront scene was an industrial plateau of trucks, granite, hot top and metal railings, while the opposite side was a lush, verdant and overgrown jungle.  For this plein air painting, no-brainer; I let the marshy green side dominate!    I did not paint fast enough to capture the high tide at the start in which the tallest boats and dock cranes were breaking the horizon line.   By the time their turn came, the water level had dropped them into a less dramatic position.  That's the challenge of painting live-and-in-person - change can be hard!  haha.

If you are interested, enlarge the dock scene.  The rope barrels, traps and fishing gear in the mid-distance which looked - in person - like a congested collection of chaos, would have to be tamed into a coherent and recognizable element of the painting.   It was an exercise in discipline.  How to make this complex part of the scene look realistic without too much tedium?  It took three steps.  1) Several colorful dots were applied in a straight horizontal line, 2) their colors were then pulled down into the (already painted) water below for reflection, and 3) a long narrow dark stroke cut through that for the underside of the dock.   A typical New England dock in an abstract sort of way.

Besides painting, the most pleasant part was observing the ducks wade around.   Their preference was also the green side - that is until the people with stale bread appeared at the parking rail.

Crock on the Path

Roughing in the Scene

Walking the wooded, stone lined path in this painting put me in and out of sunlight on this early morning in June.   During the set up, the long morning shadows were somewhat horizontal which presented a mundane light/dark pattern. I roughed in a sketch of the scene nevertheless, and as time went by, the change in the sunlight and shadows I had hoped for did come.   The first tree's shadow was now at a more dynamic angle. and the big crock of geraniums was fully lit.  

This "fresh paint" work of art is much more colorful and vivid in person than in the photo image and the painting is much more colorful than the real scene.

 

Crock on the Path

 

This painting is my Copley Society of Art "Fresh Paint" entry for 2021. 

Siblings of Mine

My Brother

I get to call these wonderful, loving, mature adults my brother and sister.   One is older; one is younger.  Happily, I'm in the middle. (See?  That explains it!)   

I think within families, resemblances aren't obvious.   Other people will say "you and your sister look a lot alike."  Perhaps the mustache precludes hearing that as much with my brother. (haha)  However, as I painted a feature-at-a-time, it became much more apparent. We do have similar eyes, similar noses, and some wrinkles/furrows in the same places.    I am blessed with the most "expression lines."

It's no wonder then, that these are very good looking people.

My Sister