Old Cranberry Bog

This was my final day of painting on Cape Cod.  I returned to the Harwich Conservation Area where I had painted earlier in the month.  The morning was crisp but sunny.  The area is an overgrown cranberry bog for the most part but has this water channel running through it.  There are birds chirping, crows squawking and even a fox out for a stroll.  It is fall and there are plenty of yellow and red colors to add variety.  It is a wonderful day for the senses.

Autumn on the Herring River

There is a nip in the air.  The greens are now golden.  Birds seem to be more active.  We went to our spot on Thursday to paint.  The tide seemed to be running out and it was quiet but beautifully sunny on the river.  What a day to paint.  I captured the furthermost house with its boat in front and chose to ignore the few houses along the road on the left side of the river.  That way, I have a focal point that is not compromised.  The eye path has a reward at the end.  I finished the entire painting on site and have not done any more to it.  It was a great day of painting.

Sand Dunes and Salty Air

A private beach on Narragansett Bay off Cape Cod.  The perfect setting for wading and playing with the kids.  There are lots of sand dunes where I live.  You can have your own private spot.  Dunes are a challenge to paint with the shadow and sand color.  The sand doesn't stay the same depending on where the grasses are growing.  I probable would have an easier time if I got out there at sunrise or sun set to catch shadows.

Pleasant Road Beach

Summer is winding down but the beach is crowded.  Everyone getting their last time before heading back to wherever.  A beautiful day today.  I got my clam rake tuned up and ready to go tomorrow.  It will be low tide in the afternoon, so it won't be nippy cold getting into the water.  I will have to do a painting of us clamming.  I really enjoy this activity.  We rake up clams and discuss the world problems.  It is a great social outing and the water is warm.  We go at low tide and some days the tide is so low that you think you could almost walk to Nantucket.  I took my friend and he wrote about the experience.  He loved it but described it as a wonderful activity for old men.  Maybe he is right.

Cape Cod Morning

Yesterday, the morning was bright and sunny.  There was little shade near the beach and I had no umbrella. I worked fast and stood in some green off the road and kept wondering whether it was poison ivy...no rash today. The area is called Bass Hole. It is in Yarmouth on the Bay side of Cape Cod.  There were visitors using the boardwalk.  There is a boat launch.  One little guy was very excited as his grandfather was launching and he was going deep sea fishing.

At the start when sketching, the land in the water was quite long but as I set up to paint, the tide came in quickly and everything grew smaller.  The sand dunes on the middle land were topped with dark green growies and the marsh grass was almost lime green.  These are colors that I rarely see on Cape Cod.  The water was very still.  I did most of the work on very wet paper and later added the shadows.

Vive la Harwich Port

This is the scene entering the Cape Cod town of Harwich Port on Rt. 28.  The steeple of the Pilgrim Church dominates the skyline.  There is plenty of traffic during the summer.  The power lines are atop tall poles and seem to string their way through all the streets. 
I painted this in the morning today.  I had it in mind during our session of Art in the Park yesterday and I awoke dreaming about the painting.  This happens and I usually head out and try doing a painting of the scene.

Busy Downtown DennisPort, Cape Cod

This is the third straight day of ideal painting weather.  The air is clear and the light is perfect Cape Cod.  It's the light that brings all the artists here.  DennisPort is getting busier with new shops.  The bakery and cafe is a magnate for people. 
I wanted to paint that side of the street but the sun was overhead.  I still went with the side and did a cobalt blue wash to darken it. There are lots of cars parked and continuously moving in and out.