Surf's Up!

Roar of the Surf 30x40 Oil

     Visiting my daughter in CA always leads to a new painting. Her home at Seacliff in Aptos gives me constant access to the beautiful beach and surf. She works and I paint. When I get back to MA,  I use my photos and sketches to paint big. In this painting I wanted to portray a sense of the power of the waves as they crashed onto the shore. The surf, with it's multiple layers of waves and criss crossing currents, are fascinating to watch and they command a respect for the force they unleash. The sunlight provides a sculptural effect to the ephemeral forms as they roar in and transform into spindrift and then wash out again.  I used a limited palette with a cloudless sky so that the viewer would focus on the surf and the myriad subtleties of colors within the blues. I hope it evokes a sense of sound as one imagines the senses at this place and time.

Another Beach perspective...

JOY! 9x12 oil
Depending on where I park myself at the beach, I can view sunsets as a totally different experience each night. In this painting, I moved a short way up the beach from the previous post's painting. The pier creates a foil for the sunset. The vertical posts, unmoving against the horizontal landscape with it's constantly changing elements provides me with contrasting elements for my painting. The reflection of the pier in the water embodies that contrast. I chose to do only a small section of the pier to focus on the sun at the dramatic moment when it starts to disappear. As the waves crash under the pier, they dissolve into the shadows and then reappear as they approach the viewer. The meandering lines of the reflection, the edge of the receding water against the dark sand and the intensity of the colors in the foreground are used to lead the viewer back toward the drama of the setting sun.

Another evening in Aptos

Beach Solitude 16x20 oil

 When I visit, waiting for my daughter to get home from work provides me with a perfect ending to each day. I walk the beach in front of her home and watch the colors that swirl and change as the sun gets closer to the horizon. The colors reflect in the wet sand and water. The sounds of the waves accent the patterns of the water as it advances and recedes.  The distant shore in Capitola becomes an amorphous shape silhouetted against the horizon. Although I have painted the same scene many times, no two are alike. I am enchanted and enjoy the solitude and time for reflection this ritual provides.

A Perfect Ending to the Day

"Day's End",Aptos, CA 12x16 oil

Visiting my daughter since she moved to California has opened up a new plethora of painting possibilities. Her location is perfect for me, a beach lover. While she is at work during the day I can load up my painting gear on her bike and head to different locations along the beach or high on the cliffs overlooking the beaches. Whether it is early morning or late in the day, the sky and water are always dramatic. During the day the beach visitors provide varied additional subject matter. No two days are ever the same and the beauty is always present. This view from Seacliff Beach looking towards Capitola provided an uncluttered composition to focus on the intensity of the experience as the sun went down. I tried to capture the water's movement and undulating colors while implying to the viewer the sounds and smells that accompanied my experience.

Evening tide, Aptos, CA

"Evening Tide"  12x24/oil

My fascination with the ocean has been lifelong. Growing up on the beach, I listened to the waves crashing as I fell asleep at night, smelled the salt air as soon as we got close to home and had the Atlantic shore as my "backyard". I miss it every day, but never stop thinking about it and feel grateful that I was so blessed. I also learned to respect the ocean and it's power. The waves on the Aptos beach were large and loud and only seemed to quiet down when the day ended and the sun was setting. The birds gathered each evening along the shore and there was a kaleidoscope of  different colors each evening. In this painting I chose a blue orange harmony.  I used the water that pooled on the shore to lead the viewers eye through the gulls, back to the surf and beyond to the merging of sea and sky. The long horizontals of the clouds in the sky give a calming effect to contrast with the surf breaking the horizon line and the staccato movement of the birds as they gather on the shoreline. The patches of bright blue sky breaking through the clouds are reflected in the water to unify the painting.

Aptos evening

"Aptos evening"  12x24 oil

My daughter recently moved to Aptos, CA. We drove cross country from VT to CA in January and after seeing many magnificent places along the way, we arrived at her place in Aptos. I felt she had about as perfect a view as anyone could have. The beach in front of her condo is magnificent from the moment the sun starts to rise in the morning until it sets at night. Rain and fog only add another mysterious dimension. Even in the dark the sounds and smells are a sensory delight. This painting is from our very first evening there. We walked to the bottom of the hill and watched the sun set towards Capitola. The birds were all lined up along the beach and the colors were vibrant and constantly changing. It was a different feeling than an Atlantic sunset, each with it's own special beauty. Each night after, the scene would repeat itself in one form or another and I will probably paint a few more while it is still fresh in my head.