Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve made a number of plein air paintings and I’d like to share some of them with you. The painting above was made at the mouth of Curley Creek near Port Orchard. I stood on the bridge while painting it and several people stopped briefly to see what I was doing. I like the strong colors and the bold brush strokes with the flecks of white.
My son, Guy, and I joined other painters from Poulsbo Artist League to paint at a farmhouse on Bainbridge Island. I like the shapes of this cluster of sheds, but it started raining as I painted. You can see the raindrops on the background. I retreated to a shed and finished the painting.
I traveled to Seattle to paint with other members of the Northwest Watercolor Society at Centennial Park. I tackled this huge ship loading grain at the grain elevator on the Seattle waterfront. The proportions of the boat and the elevator were challenging, but I think I got them basically right.
I found this boat on a trailer as I snooped along the Seattle ship canal. I liked the shape of it, so I took a photo and painted it in the studio when I got home.
I traveled to La Conner, WA, to see the fabled waterfront and I wasn’t disappointed. The La Conner harbor is a favorite of artists and photographers because of the many boats tied up along the channel that goes by the historic downtown, and for the charming boardwalk in front of the many cafes and restaurants that line the docks. I made this painting in the evening as the sun slanted low across the harbor.
You’re becoming quite a nautical painter. These are good. I also like the shed. I’m pleased that Guy is joining you and doing his own paintings.
They are all beautiful! One reason I’m thankful I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!