Quiet Boating

A quiet kayak cuts through the marsh waters of Bells Neck in West Harwich. I finished the painting of the kayaker and left it on the table. The wind blew it off. I tried to clean it up but some stuff remained on the face. This happens and then it gets messed up trying to clean it.

Rock Harbor

Went to Rock Harbor on Cape Cod to paint. It was not busy as the fishing fleet was mostly out. They are mainly sport fishing groups that take the boats. I sketched a few scenes and then painted this one. There is so much to put in a painting here. I did severe editing to capture the essence of what I saw. The sunlight was strong; it was just before noontime. A little lobster bar behind me was very busy with bicyclists and cars discharging hungry people; lunchtime. I'm not a great fan of lobster but eat my share of it while on Cape.

Red Boats

These two boats are moored on the Herring River all summer.  They do not go anywhere.  In the winter I have seen a lighted Christmas tree in the smaller one.  I do know the person who owns them and built them.  He used to be in the fish shack but I have not seen John for a couple of years.  

The marsh land is very yellow at this time of year.  Currently, at this plein air painting, the tide is very high.  The sun is bright without a cloud in the sky.  It finally rained this morning.  I did this painting in an hour and half, working mainly wet into wet.  Things do dry fast here.

The Little Dinghy

Out painting at Round Cove and there were plenty of boaters.  One brought in a nice catch of sea bass.  Wish I had some but had plenty last weekend.  I wasn't sure what the weather was up to.  There were sprinkles of rain and then the sun.  We then settled for overcast.  Round cove is a popular mooring and I met the owner of the dory.  He has lived here a long time and tells me that his dory is painted many times each year.  He found a painting of it while shopping in Providence.  He also owns two moorings.  These are prized and people get angry with him over it.  The popularity of the dory is its closeness to the pier.  If you looked to the left of this scene you would see probably 50 boats.

Riverside View

It hot here on cape Cod. The wind is really gusting and I keep watching my umbrella, as I expect it to go any minute. There are usually two cat boats moored here on the river but today, surprise...both are gone. I am always envious of the home owners on the riverside who can watch all of the activities. Water views have a real calming effect on me. I can even battle the wind gusts. There are squeals of excitement from the little ones jumping into the water. They keep asking their father to score their dive. I've been there.

Yellow Line

For most of the backroads of Cape Cod the yellow line is more or less a suggestion. Walkers, bike riders and cars all have to navigate narrow passageways. This scene is a Cape Cod road with typical houses. I did not attempt rigorous 2 point perspective but judged with my eye. The road went up slightly and will then head down. Most of our houses are grey with shingles. They are suggested rather than detailed.

Cape Cod Back Yard

Got in a painting before the rains came yesterday. We painted at the home of a local landscaper. It is possibly true that there are more landscapers than any other occupation on the Cape. That is, unless you count artists. The morning started sunny but the dark clouds loomed overhead as the morning reached 10AM. The challenge was not only the imminent rain but the many greens that I had to make. I used yellows, burnt sienna and ultramarine mixes with sap green to produce many shades of green. It was a good outing if only for a couple of hours.

Kite Shop Redux

My grandson wanted a picture of the Kite Shop. This is his favorite stop in town and he always returns with something. I sketched it with a pen and then filled it in. He will love it.