SUNDOWN AT GUARD SHORE

 

Guard Shore, late December. I was sitting quietly and peacefully at the shore watching the dusk descend. The place was deserted and I was thankful for it! I could hear chip chip calls from sparrows that lurked in the marsh grasses nearby, the taller strands of grass waved in the chilly breeze. Behind me, a high whistling from a Surf Scoter's wings as it took to the air and flew deeper into the bay. A few had been feeding just offshore, diving then reappearing to bounce up and down in the choppy water. As the night drew in across the marsh, the sky took on an intense yellow that slowly deepened to blood-red before finally fading to black. It was an experience to cherish and I tried to capture my feeling for that evening in this painting. Size is 9 x 12 in (23 x 30 cm). Oil on canvas.

SUMMER FIELDS STUDY

 

A smaller study I did quite a few years ago which I posted back in 2013! I thought I would show it again as this kind of scene is still relevant to me as an artist. As with so much of my work back then (and now), I was trying to capture the mood of an early morning sunrise with the sun just breaking through clouds. I never tire of this subject and currently have quite a few more like this on the go! This one is an 8 x 10 oil painting.

EVENING SKY, MARSH STUDY

 

The evening drawing to a close over the expanse of the marsh - something that I go back to time and time again as a subject to paint. Here clouds cover most of the sky and the weak winter sun is hidden. Soon I will head home again but linger for just a little while longer as the last fluting wader calls drift across the water. This oil study done on an 8 x 10 canvas board.

GLOSSY IBIS STUDIES

 

I did these juvenile Glossy Ibis studies after seeing a few during my field trip to the New Jersey shore last late year. One bird was close by feeding in the marshland right next to where I had parked so was able to spend some time with it. Although the body feathers had a faint iridescent sheen like the adult, I expect this to become much more apparent when the bird matures. It will also lose most of the white on the head while overall becoming much smarter looking. I expect I'll will get to the adult birds soon and do more studies of this interesting bird. Size is 12 x 9 inches, watercolor on Strathmore paper.

WINTER MARSH VI

 

While I have been working in watercolor again, I decided to paint another view looking across the evening marsh. This one is similar to the oil study I did a while ago but I think I like this one more than the other. It did take a little longer with it using quite a few washes of color to capture not just the deeper rich tones, but also the textures in the grasses too. This painting has become one of my favorite watercolors to date and am looking forward to seeing it in a frame. Size is 12 x 9 in (30 x 23 cm).

MARCH MORNING CLOUD STUDY

 

In this smaller study, I tried a slightly more realistic view wanting to get a better representation of just how the sky and landscape looked that morning. As usual, I was sitting looking out and waiting for the sun to rise, hoping for an atmospheric effect that I could try to capture in paint. Here being so early, the sun is still below the horizon but illuminating the sky behind the encompassing cloud. A slightly lighter glow effused the center while the lower horizon blended into the sky above. Lights showed where there were various buildings in an otherwise dark landscape. This one has become a favored piece of mine and I enjoy looking at it remembering the beautiful sky that morning. Size is 5 x 7 inches (12 x 18 cm), oil on board.

GREAT EGRET

 

After working in oils for some time recently, it felt good to pick up the watercolors again. Here a back-lit Great Egret makes its appearance. I was lucky with this bird because they are usually quite shy but it was distracted by an outpouring of water from a dam where fish had gathered so allowed a close approach. The winter birds don't have the vivid green around the base of the bill and eye, this area reverts to a more somber yellowish-orange that is slightly paler than the bill. The eye as always fascinates though - and that dagger-like bill! Although a simple composition, I enjoyed painting this one. Size is about 9 x 10 inches.