Blakeman's at Sunset

Blakeman's at Sunset

On Duxbury Reservation, the "bathhouse" building houses restroom facilities and a snack bar on one side a clam shack on the other.  The clam shack, open only "in-season" is called Blakeman's.      At Blakeman's the dining experience is as informal as your on your average back deck.   I'm not even sure there is a "no bare feet" sign.   The seating consists of picnic tables and people can bring their own beverages.   It is a great place to get dinner especially if you have one or more wet and sandy children straight off the beach.  Adults can get a fisherman's platter and the children can get a hot dog.

One of the nicest features of Blakeman's is the fact that there is a beautiful, wide open view of the northern end of Duxbury Bay.   The sunsets are routinely spectacular and the scene depicted in this painting is a backlit Blakeman's looking toward the sunset.

The structure has various rooflines that seem to convey that additions were added on one at a time over the years.  The roof over the "dining room" was reflecting the peachy sunset, and the rest of the building was in shadow.   The trademark sign with the six foot high lobster is depicted as well as the buoys that hang from the eaves, although you have to look closely.

Ames Pond

Easel set up at Ames Pond

After spending the morning in Boston, I drove north to Tewksbury to attend a retirement party.    My early arrival meant I had some time to set up and do a plein air painting.   Ames Pond off of Route 133 in Tewksbury is
bordered by some nicely designed office buildings with parking and picnic tables.




One White Birch at Ames Pond

 The photo to the right shows the angle of my easel as it faced Ames Pond and the hillside to the southern edge of the pond.  A path wound around the building to my left following the edge of the pond.   Occasionally an employee on a break would stroll along this path and disappear around the other side.   A couple of different people who stopped to take a look asked me if I had seen the swans.  They said that a swan pair and their chicks regularly visited the edge of the pond where I was standing.  I mentally prepared for the appearance of the swans.   I would try to quickly sketch them in, if and when they showed up.   They never did, but given the current state of the painting - nice but somewhat dull - I may still retrofit them in from reference photos.  The swans would take the place of the single white birch as the center of interest.





One White Birch