Plein Air Painting In Sarasota Bay on a Windy Day

Windy Day
Acrylic on panel, 8x6

This is a plein air painting of sailboats in Sarasota Bay that I did when I was switching back and forth between oils and acrylics.  I used a lot of gloss medium to keep the paint flowing.  This was before I tried the Golden Open Acrylics, which are much better for plein air than the regular acrylics because they dry slowly.  I was very interested in the reflections of the blue water onto the white boats, and the feeling of the wind.  I like painting better than photography because I find it easier to emphasize certain qualities of a scene that I find the most inspiring, instead of making an objective copy.  I find that the biggest challenge of plein air is to make an interpretive, personal, and expressive painting rather than merely copying reality as if I were a photographer.  I realize that many people who don't look at a lot are impressed with the skill of artists who can make it look "just like a photograph."  I think seeing so much photography has made the public expect to see a photographic look rather than a work of art.  Fortunately, some people like a more poetic impression when they see it.

Painting Boats at Fort Myers Beach Paintout

The Sea Beckons
oil on panel, 11x14

I painted this shrimp boat during the "Paint The Beach - Sandcastles to Shrimp Boats" paintout in Fort Myers Beach in November.  This was my first shrimp boat painting, since we don't have any where I live in Sarasota, Florida.  It was an exciting subject to paint, with all the rigging, nets, and ropes.  I simplified it enough to get a clean looking study.  The quality of light was what interested me the most, as is usual when I'm painting from life.  The boat looked like it was just waiting to be manned and taken back out to work.

Plein Air Tree Study

Up High
oil on panel, 5x7

This is a plein air study of a pine tree with dappled, morning light.  The patches of light had a reddish color.  I noticed how the bark of the pines change from red to grey, depending on the time of day.  This is a very tall tree and I was looking up to paint the top section.  Sometimes I use a plein air session to do this type of quiet, simple study instead of painting a larger view.

Painting the Peace River

River's Mystery
oil on panel, 14x11

While I was doing a plein air study of the Peace River in Arcadia, Florida, a great blue heron flew by.  I had to use my memory sketch of the bird.  I finished the painting in my studio.  I like to includ the local wildlife in my paintings whenever possible.

Colors of the Atlantic Ocean

First Light
acrylic on panel, 6x6

The colors of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of Florida are a little different from the Gulf waters.  While visiting the Jacksonville area, I noticed how purple the water looked, especially in the morning.  The sand dunes were higher.  I stood behind some dunes and tall grasses and took some photographs as the sun came up.  This is a small study I did.  I sold the larger painting that was inspired by this study.