Cool Greenish Morning - St Pete Beach

There is a main thoroughfare that runs north/south along the interior shore (east side) of the St Pete Beach barrier island called Pass-A-Grille Way.   Conveniently, the parking and the sidewalk are right along the inlet where I saw dolphins, pelicans and all kinds of egrets.  It was early when I set up to paint and the shore of the "mainland" was barely visible because of the mist.   

A walker who lives nearby told me that the foreground dock that I was painting had just been completed when Hurricane Milton hit.   There was enough damage (and more pressing repairs on the island,) that it remains unusable - that is - unless you are painting it. haha  The dock beyond the closest pier is the functioning Merry Dock and that is where the Miss Pass-A-Grille fishing boat was docked.   Luckily that boat did not move while I painted.   

As for the painting process, I tried to stay true to the misty morning, making sure that everything had a greenish tinge to it.   If I had had chromium green with me, it would have been useful, but instead I made do with Sap Green, Viridian, and Emerald.   The seagulls and pelicans were also very cooperative!

Merry Dock

Wollaston Yacht Club Plein Air

The Quincy Art Association organized and hosted this paint out and yours truly was the instructor/demo painter.   We arrived plenty early to get set up and it was a good thing.   We quickly realized (like boaters before a storm) that we needed more ropes (aka bungies).    The wind was gusting to 25-30 mph and it was the first lesson that was discussed regarding successful plein air painting.  The large tent next to me where the painting participants were working actually flipped over.  Equipment must be weighted down to the point were it will not budge!   In every photo, I'm gripping my easel out of habit, even though I was securely tied down.  The bright sun and warm temperatures (low 90s) were also challenging but the participants stuck with it and all came away with a work of art they should be proud of!

This is my painting from the demo, a depiction of the Wollaston Yacht Club and dock with Quincy Bay and some Boston Harbor Islands in the distance. 

Wollaston Yacht Club and Dock