Early Morning Shadows

Pastel over Watercolor & Ink, 5x7

As the sun rises above the low clouds in the early morning, the light casts the dunes and the ridges in sharp contrasts of light and shadow.

Stiff Wind 2

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

As the sea breeze gains strength, it seems to bend even the palm trees with its force.  The late sun paints the faces of the dunes with blue and purple shadows which exaggerate the reds and browns of the summer grasses.

Morning Light, 2

Watercolor & Ink, 4x6

In the late morning, the spring colors of green are set against the reds and browns of the winter, and a few deep shadows still fall on the sand.  The wind and sun brighten the water with foam and reflections.
I added a few touches of pastel to add brightness and drama to the colors. 

Stiff Wind

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

In the late afternoon, the sea breeze gains in strength and blows over the dune face sweeping the grass and palms.

Tomoka River Palms

Watercolor & Ink, 4x6

The palms that grow on the edge of the Tamoka River seldom grow straight but bend and in unusual ways.  This trio of palms appear to be engaged in a twisting, exotic dance.

Palm Expressions 4

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

I have become intrigued by the possibilities of simple compositions of trees and the variations that can be achieved in color exchanges.  I have been working largely with primary and secondary colors with different combinations - almost a Florida Fauvist?

Palm Expressions 3

 

Final Version

First Iteration....

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

This painting is an experiment in color and composition with the plan of becoming part of a larger work.  I call these painting, "Palm Expressions."
I took another look at this piece in the morning, and made some needed changes.  I have posted both versions to document the changes.

Southern Pines, 2

Watercolor & Ink, 6s4

This painting is the second in a series of studies of pine trees. This pine tree grows at the edge of a pond and stands apart from the dense timber around it.  Broken branches from a long-forgotten storm give this pine its shaggy appearance.

Southern Pines, 1

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

This painting is the first in a series of studies of trees. This pine tree grows by with a few saplings apart from a grove of trees on an island in the salt marsh.

Marsh Between the Dunes

Watercolor & Ink, 4x6

At Anastasia St. Park, a wide marsh sits between the old set of dunes and the new dunes on the beach.  This painting is a view across the marsh to the beach dunes at mid-day. The sun is almost directly overhead, and the few shadows are small and deep blue/purple.
This painting is a study for working out the composition, values, and colors for a larger painting.
This painting is available on EBAY starting 3/9/2016. Click here for EBAY.

Winter Eveing Walk

Mixed Media - 4x6

Ink, Watercolor, and Pastel on Arches Watercolor Paper

This small study of the beach in winter was done to capture the colors and atmosphere of the wide beach at low tide.  A few hearty souls have ventured out for a walk.
The painting is mainly watercolor over ink with a few highlights and colors added with light touches of pastel.  
This painting is available on EBAY - Click here

Wet Sand, Wet Feet

Pastel on UArt, 6x9

When the tide is out, the wet, hard sand reflects the scattered clouds and deep blue sky. As the tide starts to come in, we may get our feet wet, but that's good too.
This painting was done to demonstrate painting scattered clouds and blue sky, and I added  the beach to give the clouds a sense of time and place.

Staying Put, Low Tide

Pastel 9x12 on Wallis

For this painting, I worked under the constant threat of rain.  The overcast broke from time to time giving sunlight and broken shadows on the marina.  The tide was low and going out further when I started this painting.  The first thing I did was sketch the basic masses of the cord grass and put in the water that was left.  When I finished with the basics, the foreground and middle ground were reduced to broad mud flats. 

This painting is about contrasts.  I wanted to show a contrast of the organic shapes of the grass with the straight line of the bridge and boat masts in the background.  I emphasized the contrast in colors between the light lavender of the sky, and water, the deep purple on the sandy mud, and red/brown of the grass.

This painting was originally done as part of a workshop with Kathleen Galligan.  The painting has been put away in a box for three years.  I got it out of storage last week, and today I retouched and adjusted some of the colors and values. 

Intradune Marsh, Anastasia Island

Pastel 9x12 on Wallis

I chose this view because of the contrast in linearity between the oaks and cedar in the foreground that show their bulk and roundness, the intradune marsh with is generally flat and horizontal, and the dunes in the distance which offered the horizontal with variations.  From where I had to stand, there was a large sign blocking more than half of the left side of the scene, so I had to walk a few steps forward to be able to see the image I was trying to paint.  I widened the path and removed some of the shrubs to give a view of the marsh and dunes.
This painting was originally done as part of a workshop with Kathleen Galligan.  The painting has been put away in a box for three years.  I got it out of storage last week, and today I retouched and adjusted the colors and values.

Dunes After Rain

Dunes after Rain, 1

 

 Dunes after Rain, 2

Watercolor & Ink, 6x4

After the rain, the sea oats and beach sunflowers are freshly washed, and as the clouds retreat, they sparkle with vibrant color standing out against the smooth sand as banners on display. 
I did this pair of images from separate parts of an earlier drawing.  They will be available individually on EBAY.