Home Again

"Soundside" in progress, 8x10 oil on linen panel

     I hate dropping this blog for such a long time.  It was not my intention.  If you read my last post, April 15th, I was packing up for our trip to the Outer Banks and I had every intention of blogging from there.  I even mentioned needing to remember to bring my card reader. Well, I didn't remember.  Not that it would have mattered because the Blogger site went wonky on my laptop and I wouldn't have been able to post anyway. So, we had a wonderful 11 days at the beach and that included an entertaining four day Nor'Easter!

       I had planned on using all 8 panels I had packed but only completed 6 paintings.  The first painting I did is shown above.  It was from our first day there and I had set up on the west facing deck that overlooks Currituck Sound.  It was late afternoon and the weather was perfect.  No hint of what was to come:)  Usually I paint the Sound itself with lots of sky but on this afternoon I felt like painting the view of our cul de sac.  I have not photographed the finished painting yet so I will upload that in a future post.

"Nor'Easter", 8x10 oil on linen panel

This is what the next morning looked like from one of our oceanside windows.  It hadn't started to rain yet but the wind was really blowing and you could get plenty wet just standing where my neighbor was.  I appreciated the yellow slicker he wore, it was just the right touch for the painting!  I painted this from the window.  I would do four more paintings from this same window.  Even when the rain stopped the wind was really strong and I would have been sandblasted trying to paint the surf from outdoors.  I enjoy storms like this so much!  I love the wildness of it.  This particular storm lasted a long time with consistent 30 + mile an hour winds.  Inconvenient for the dogs but we all felt cozy indoors. I have been there for much less pleasant Nor"Easters that had winds gusting to 75 miles and hour.  Those are scary and the house rocks and the northeast corner of the house makes a screaming sound when the winds blast it.  Hard to sleep especially with three frightened dogs!


"Outer Banks Surf" 6x8 oil on panel

    This is my favorite of the four surf paintings I would do from my window.  The sky had cleared and it was late afternoon.  The ocean was a deep blue green making the breaking surf a brilliant white in contrast.  I really didn't want it to quiet down! 
    I might continue a series of these small, 6x8 surf paintings each time we are there just like I do with the Farmhouse series here in Virginia.  I enjoy the quickness of the oil sketch and there is much to learn about my painting process by doing these.  They help develop the eye.
     Over the next couple of days I will upload the other paintings I did. A lot has been happening since I have been home and I haven't been able to get back to work. I will put a comma here and continue with an update in my next entry.