Water Wings (and Bull Sharks at Folly Beach!)

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

$400

 

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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!!

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.