Nice Day For a Wedding

Nice Day For a Wedding SOLD

8"x8" oil on board

 (And another gorgeous day to be out painting on the beach!)

At the west end of Pine Ave. on Anna Maria is the landmark "Sandbar Restaurant,"one of the best spots on the island for dining ambiance and a very popular beach wedding venue. Drawn to the strong contrasts and casts shadows in this scene, I tried to keep a fellow painter's advice in mind while working on this piece... unless it's the focal point, keep all other edges soft!

All to Myself

All to Myself sold

11"x14" oil on canvas

I began this piece one morning a few weeks ago when a large pipe, part of a beach re-nourishment project, was still in place along the length of Anna Maria Island, pumping sand from out in the gulf up on to the shore. The project began last December and took just over 3 months. It was obtrusive, unsightly, and rather loud at times, but in the end, it resulted in widening the beach by nearly double what it was before. Of course, I suppose one big hurricane could completely erode it all, but- fingers crossed- we shouldn't have to deal with that pipe for another 6-8 years at least!

I completed this painting a couple days ago, while battling fierce winds that I finally had to surrender to! It's actually the view (looking northward) from right behind our condo where we spend our weekends. I debated adding some of the many beach goers that had amassed by mid-morning, but after some consideration (and playing around with a piece of acetate overlay, which is a great "testing tool" by the way!) I decided I rather liked the lonely and contemplative "Hopper-esque" quality of it.

Caspersen Beach Morning

Caspersen Beach Morning

8"x10" oil on board

Usually when I get down to paint at Capersen Beach I head straight for the raised wooden walkways that provide the ideal place to set up my easel and look down upon the rocks that line the shore. Unlike so many of Florida's white, sandy beaches, this one is edged with big natural rocks, amongst which some of the best shark teeth fossils can be found in abundance! I, like quite a few fellow painters I know, am very drawn to the color contrast of these red/brown rocks against the blue/green ocean, but today I opted to try a different view, just for a change of pace.

Sand Dunes Study

Sand Dunes Study SOLD

9"x12" oil on canvas

My on-going obsession with sand dunes continues...

Back at the north end of Anna Maria Island this morning~ after bribing my very patient daughter with a stop at the Anna Maria Donut shop on Pine Ave! Hey, that little sugary treat bought me 2 hours of uninterrupted painting time during prime morning shadow light while she contentedly played in the sand! In my book that's money well spent ;)