Broken Surf - Study

 Pastel - 5x7 on UArt 600

When the winds come from on direction and them move to another, the waves can get confused and broken.  They come in and break across each other and the surf becomes choked with foam and breaking waves.

This is the final image of a process that started with a limited palette and a 20 minute timer.

I began with a simple line drawing to guide my composition.

Once I was satisfied with the basics, I selected a limited palette of mostly greens, blues, and grays of different values and intensities.

With my drawing in place and my palette selected, I set my timer for 20 minutes - 20 minutes with 20 pieces of pastel - and this is the result.

As you can see, I did very little revision from this initial painting other than to add some color and texture to the waves and foam.  

Palm 2

Palm 2

Line and Watercolor Wash

The palms that grow on the back side of the beach dunes seem to never rest as the sea breeze wafts and waves their fronds.  I use the pen with it's fine line for the details I need while I use the watercolor wash to add the abstraction that gives the painting life.

Palm 1

Palm 1 

Line and Watercolor Wash

This view of a palm on the beach dunes with sea oats is the foundation for an expression of the feeling of chill and the smell of the salt air on a windy, overcast day.  The pen with it's fine line gives me the details I need while the watercolor wash leads to the abstraction that gives the painting life.

Circumstances have kept me from my studio and from pastels.  In the interim, I have been painting with ink and watercolor washes.  

Incoming Swell

Pastel, 9x12 on UArt

At times the tide comes in so quickly that the waves seem to fall over each other in the race to the shore.  One swell is still rolling over wet sand as the one following falls over it.

Etude - Down to the Beach

Ballpoint Pen Drawing 8x12 mm.

Etude Page

Sketch and notes in my sketch book.  
This drawing is a preliminary study for my demo at Georgia Nick Gallery on April 23 and 24.  I will have to economize my time to complete a work during the demo.  I will do practice on this one so I can work out the underpaint and color selections ahead of time.

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. 

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.

Down to the Beach, 2

Pastel on Wallis, 6x9

I have been intrigued by this dune and the path that goes around it to the beach.  The changing light and wind continually paint it with a new and different look.

Down to the Beach, Study

Watercolor & Ink - 4x6

The sun is the brightest and the wind always seems to be freshest on the top of the dunes.  The fine sand is an irresistible invitation to come down to the beach.

Painting is listed on eBay - auction ends 1/27/2016.

Morning Colors, Study

Watercolor and Ink, 4x6

In the early morning after a night of rain, the surf is up, the air is clear, and the color of the morning paints the dunes with its own shade of lavender.  I love this time before anyone else has time to leave foot prints in the sand.

Painting is listed on eBay - auction ends 1/23/2016.

Beach Path, 2

Watercolor over Ink, 4x6

The paths to the beach often lead between houses on Jacksonville Beach.  On this particular path, the old cement garden wall on one side and a palm tree in the corner of the next-door yard create a dramatic entrance to the bright sunlight of the beach and surf.

Beach Colors 2

Pastel, 8x8 on Wallis

This is an interpretation and expression of the small dunes that edge the beach.  The sea oats stand without formation until the wind comes up and pushes them all in the same direction.

To purchase, contact me.  Painting is in GNG, St. Augustine, FL.

Dune Expressions

 

Original photo - problem with the camera and setting

  

Second photo with better camera and more precise colors

Pastel, 6x9

This painting is a representation of the view through the dunes to the beach.  The sun is bright and the wind is brisk.  The clear light turns all the colors up a notch.  I did this small study to test my design and color selections for a larger painting.

To purchase, visit my entry at Daily Paintworks.

Beach in Dawn Colors

Pastel, 6x9

Even in the winter, the rising sun paints the sky and the beach in radiant color.  I have tried to capture those colors with this view of Jacksonville Beach just before the sun comes up.  In the chilly days of February as the rain passes and day begins, the sense of stillness and color is exceptionally vibrant.  The dampness deepens all the colors of the winter grasses, and the rising light paints the shadows on the sand with deep purple.

To purchase, click on Daily Paintworks

Evening Walk, Study

Pastel on UArt 240 - 6x9

The last light of the day paints the sky with gold and lavender which is reflected in the wet sand and broken waves.  The beach is nearly deserted in the evening after the tourists and families with children have gone. As the light falls and the temperature drops, this is the perfect time to come out for a stroll on the beach.  

To purchase, click on the DPW Link.

Marker Palms

Watercolor, gouache over ink on paper, 7x5

This small work is an view through the dunes to the beach. The path is marked by these two palm trees.  The painting was done with water media over an ink drawing.  I find working that way solidifies my ideas and focuses my vision.

To purchase, click on Daily Paintworks.

Off-Shore Wind

Pastel on UArt 400 6x9

This painting started as another test of UArt, but when I finished the basics of the main wave, I stepped back to check my progress thinking to add detail in the waves in the foreground and horizon, but I stopped. I was captivated by the contrast to the wave as it is and the almost abstract minimum of detail that remains.
This painting will not be offered for sale - I plan to keep this piece as a reminder to myself of what I can do with fewer details.

Painting can also be seen on Daily Paintworks

First Light, Jax Beach

Pastel 6x9

When the eastern sky begins to show color and the light of the coming day rises, the dunes are suffused with color and contrast.  The deep shadows retreat and are replaced with lighter, warmer colors washed across the sand and grasses while the waves and wet sand are painted with the pink and gold of the first light of the dawn.  In this painting, I have tried to catch the glories of this moment when the world moves from deep, cool night to warm, brilliant day.

Dune Passage

Watercolor over Ink - 5x7

In the early morning as I walk on the beach, I often turn to look at the dunes, and the bright light has painted the sand and grasses with broad washes of color in blues, golds, and greens.  This small path through the dunes was my passage to the beach - my escape from the "other world" of duties and troubles.

Painting is available on Daily Paint Works.

Surging Light 2

Pastel on Wallis, 6x6  

In the early morning, the slanting light of the sun hidden by passing clouds makes surf seem to surge even more that usual.  I have sought to capture the colors and the movement in the surf.

Daily Paintworks Listing