The Hot Stove

In the center of Harwich Port is a popular eatery for families. It is usually crowded with a line out the door. Today I painted from across the street. It was not sunny so I had to stage my lighting. It is extremely humid and takes a long time for anything to dry. In addition the paper wrinkles, but once home in the a/c, it dries out and is fine.
My group did not go out today because of the lack of sun, but since I was ready, I got out and painted all day.

Herring River, West Harwich, MA

I hurried to finish before the rain came and I didn't quite make it. I started painting in full sunshine and put on plenty of sun bloc. Part of the plein air experience is talking to passersby. I love it, sometimes stopping and chatting. That happened while painting last weekend and then they came to my art show in the park on Monday.
My grandchildren left today and I will miss my beloved chums. We spent a lot of time together. Will have more time for painting.
I have been painting on Arches' 140lb cold press and find it wrinkling and never completely drying out. It is damp here on the Cape. I worry that it will wrinkle when framed. I will switch back to 300lb paper which I prefer for lots of reasons.

Bass Maine Lighthouse

This is a redo of an earlier watercolor of the lighthouse. I had it in my mind as I was baby sitting my paintings at Art in the Park. I staged the light from the right so I could bring some color into the rocks. So I whipped out the sticks and knocked off this pesticide free watercolor painting in about 40 minutes. There is something fresh resulting from fast painting. It is like golf; the fewer strokes wins.

Sailing away from the storm

Completed this painting the other day. I was so pleased with the sky. It is stormy looking with nice soft edges. The painting was done on 300lb rough Arches watercolor paper. I painted the sky in solid and then ran water down the paper through the sky, jiggling it back and forth to avoid hard edges. I always paint with my paper vertical, so in doing this the paper does need to lay flat once you are happy with the edges. One advantage to painting on Cape Cod is the dampness in the air. I am not used to it with most of my work done in California and Mexico, but it does allow longer times to manipulate the water/color mix.

Sundae School Ice Cream is the best

Back on Cape Cod and painting to get some inventory for my weekly Art in the Park showing. It was a cloudy day and threatened rain but I was able to get a sketch and return home and paint. Our first full session of Art in the Park was last week and I met many of my old clients. Some of them have 6 of my paintings and bought more. It is a great feeling.
Summer is in full swing with lots of guests and I have not missed a meal since arriving. Fresh fish is so good.