Cohasset Cove

Border St Bridge in Spring

Cohasset is a pretty little town nestled along the South Shore of Massachusetts between Hingham and Scituate.   Today we painted along an inlet - a waterway known as "the Gulf".  It passes under the Border Street Bridge, a spot I painted at a couple of years ago in spring.  See first photo...

Border St Bridge Rapids

On this summer day, adventurous kids and a few adults were jumping from the bridge into the water.   Most scrambled to the side and climbed the rocks to the top again.   But some swimmers road the rapids over the falls down to an area where the water slowed down and flattened.   These swimmers navigated to a dock with a ladder where they could climb up and repeat.

Cohasset Cove - In Progress

Cohasset Cove - Nearly Done

Yikes!   I found myself serving as pseudo-lifeguard as well as painter.  Not that I can picture myself jumping in and saving anyone, but I was keeping account of the over-the-rapids swimmers. Those rocks must be nice and smooth!

 

My painting scene includes the rapids entering at the left and flowing to the dock.  It is an 8x8 inch square.

Osher Ledges - Minot

Osher Ledges - Stage One

The location of this scene is the northernmost section of Scituate, MA, known as Minot.   Minot is only 15 miles across the water from Boston Harbor.  The Boston skyline was in fact visible in the far distance across Cohasset Harbor, if I turned 180 degrees from this easterly facing scene.

Osher Ledges - Stage Two

It was cold!   I had the layers; I was in the sun.  However, the wind was blowing from behind me and eventually, I had to wrap things up.    In quick paint mode, as discussed in the past, the result can be fresher, unfussy and more vivid.   I'd like to think that surrendering to the cold on this day, has resulted in one of those kinds of paintings.

Osher Ledge - Minot

As for the colors, the dark winter blue ocean was a stark contrast against the sun bleached ledges.    It was low tide and some of the boulders that spend most of the day submerged were dark and moss covered.   The angle of sun is so low that there is not much yellow influence, thus there is a distinct lack of green in the water. In fact, the ocean blue was leaning more toward purple than green.

Border Street Bridge Cohasset, MA

I headed north up Route 3A to drop off paintings for an art festival in Cohasset.   I have painted at Cohasset Harbor before and I quickly remembered how wonderfully scenic this area is.   Instead of parking near the Atlantica Restaurant as I have before, I went a little further and crossed a small bridge, then took my first left into the Harbormaster's station.    There were parking spots along a grassy area below the bridge on the banks of the ocean outlet for this small waterway.




Border Street Bridge Stage One

Here is a photograph of the plaque which is on one of the bridge buttresses.  The bridge was built in 1924 and lists the Board of Selectmen, the Engineers and Architects.   I searched for information about the bridge, but most of the links pertained to its popularity as a place local youths liked to jump into the water, and the authorities' desire to deter it.



Border Street Bridge Stage Two

I liked the long graceful arch of the bridge and the fact that I was low enough to be able to look under it and see the shoreline further inland.   There were even some whitewater rapids next to me and I was thinking - yes - this would make a very nice postcard!     I began roughing in the sky and Spring green of the trees.  



The right embankment was illuminated by the sun and seemed to have every warm shade of yellow and red.   Although there was a lot of water movement, the right side embankment was calmer and had nice reflections.

Border Street Bridge Stage Three

This one is close to being complete.  There are three issues I want to address before finalizing.

1) The waterfalls at the bottom are painted to the real scale, but I'm thinking the they start too low in the painting.   I do like how they echo the patterns in the clouds.

2)  Verifying the darks; they seem too dark.    Logically, the watery reflections would be throwing more light up under the bridge than I have depicted.

3)  Adding one or more bicyclists crossing the bridge, since there was a steady stream while I was painting.

 I welcome any other feedback.   My plan is to return to this location with the painting and finish it off " en plein air.

 VIEW FINISHED PAINTING