Family Swim

20"x24" oil on gallery-wrapped linen, unframed

$1200

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This painting is mostly in brush work rather than palette-knife. Yet, the paint handling is still similar,  lush, and plenty of it.   

and yes, I'm still thinking about how much fun I had on this beach trip! Looking forward to the next one with great anticipation!

Water Wings (and Bull Sharks at Folly Beach!)

10"x8"x.75" deep, oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

$400

 

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Click on the image to enlarge!

Man, oh man, I can't say enough, how much I enjoyed my trip to Charleston.  There's more than enough details coming out in my next 'Cheer Factor' newsletter in a few days.  Charleston is a fantastic art destination. But Folly Beach, is close to where I used to live - and getting to swim EVERY single day of my vacation in the warm Atlantic was heavenly!  I would swim, then come back to my beach chair to 'rest' a little bit, and photograph other beach goers! Watching the moms play with their little ones in the shallow water reminded me of how much fun I had when my own daughters were very small.  I came home with lots of great memories and tons of photo reference! 

 

 

Now, on the next to last day, we swam in the morning....like usual....and turned on the TV to catch the news before heading out for dinner. As it turns out, that afternoon, a 14 year old boy snagged a big bull shark while fishing on the pier - right next to where we were swimming! To catch the drama on video- you've got to see this! Yikes! Needless to say, on my last morning of swimming, I was a bit reluctant to get in past my knees, knowing there was a mad  bull shark on the loose!!

Niantic River & Marina, Plein Air

12"x12" oil on archival panel

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Every beautiful day that's left during summer, I'm hoping to get out of the studio to go paint on location. This was one of those days! I packed up the gear & headed over to Niantic. Across the river from me is the striped awning of where I had lunch with friends another day that week! I painted this on a Friday, and the boats were pretty active, coming and going (mostly going out into the bay and beyond!).  Some people going fishing, some just cruising, others heading out for a day of sailing.  At the riverside park I was painting from, there were several people out fishing from the banks, some just bringing a lunch to get outside for a short bit, and some just out walking enjoying the sunshine on a terrific day.

Hole In The Wall Beach, Niantic, CT Plein Air

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel

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After my Charleston, SC trip I sought out some local plein air scenes that included beach & sky. It's certainly different here in New England...beaches are smaller, but there are interesting land formations here as well, with rocky coastlines, and sometimes trees growing out to the 'very edge". Determined to get as much plein air work as possible this summer while the weather is decent!

Incoming Storm, Plein Air Sol Legare Road

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel

$200

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On this morning during our stay in Folly Beach, SC it was really overcast, but I thought I might be able to get a painting completed before the storm rolled in. I had scouted out some locations nearby like the end of the Bowen's Island Road. But the next road north of that I believe is Sol Legare Road. At the very end of the long lane is a boat ramp that drops out into the creeks amidst the surrounding marshes.  Every point in the day or any kind of weather holds its own special beauty, but stormy skies over the marshes always fascinate me. The dark clouds were rolling in, and quickly changing their shapes. I knew I didn't have long to make decisions about this painting. I chose a simple sky study again - the rapid changes and the brilliant green of the grasses across the water were so compelling. 

I was almost done when a mist of a rain sprinkle started....quick, finish those last decisive strokes of paint - BOOM! - Now it was pouring and time to pack it all up! Luckily, I have lots of practice at keeping the gear easy to manage! Thunder and lightening is no place to be out painting in! Whew!

Folly Dunes, Morning Clouds

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel

200.

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The second painting of the morning, I just turned my easel to look up at the dune at my side. Dune grasses waving, and palmettos just over the top of the dune, the clouds were really starting to shape up that morning. The sun was up and it was really getting warm! Kept this one quick, but again, focused on those billowing clouds.

Early Morning at Morris Island, plein air/Folly Beach

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel; $200 unframed

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I've been having quite a delightful summer.  My husband and I made the trek back to Charleston, SC where we were married, 29 years ago this month.  We lived there for several years early in our marriage, lots of great memories there. The city is more beautiful than when we left it many years ago- it hardly seems possible - we thought it was rather stellar back then. 

We stayed out at Folly Beach, close to where we lived many years back. Part of the day we'd spend swimming in the ocean, and for the other part, we'd go back into the city to explore.  We toured through so many galleries. I got to see so many of my favorite artists work, and even meet some in person. 

A couple of the mornings during our week-long stay, I got up early and went out to paint. I'd been wanting to get back to those southern coastal marsh and beach views. I love those large cumulous clouds that stack up early in the morning.  This view is down at the end of Morris Island (where Folly Beach is located). The light house is to the right of this scene...but I didn't feel like painting a "kitchy tourist scene".... my goal was to get in some large sky views. 

When working on small (6"x8") panels, it's helpful to keep design ideas simple. I was using painting knives as well as brushes in these studies, working intuitively.  The heat rises pretty quickly, so these views were painted before breakfast, about 7:00 a.m.

Sailing On A Summer Breeze

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

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From the river to the harbor

sails dance me across the water.

 Summer breeze, 

if only I could call on you in winter, 

and bring your warmth.

Keep me in your embrace.

Riding The Bowsprit

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

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Sunday sailors;

afternoon breeze from the south 

with clear skies...

Sails billowing outward 

aglow with sun and shadow.

Teens along the bowsprit

riding where the adventurous go. 

Held aloft over the salty spray

reveling in the power of the moment.